Crunch! 11 Delicious Picture Books About Apples
by Lindsay Barrett
When we moved into our home, I was delighted to realize that a cluster of apple trees in the backyard would announce each season to us, from spring blossoms to summer fruit and a fall harvest to share with friends and neighbors. Even if you don’t live in an impromptu orchard, picking, eating, and baking with apples are touchstone experiences for many kids. These excellent books on the topic will get everyone in an apple-y mood. From cute toddler board books to informative nonfiction and apple-themed stories, here are 11 picture books about apples to bite into.
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Apple Farmer Annie
Available from:Annie is one busy farmer! She tends her orchard and makes cider, applesauce, and baked goods before heading to the farmer’s market to sell her apples. This story is simple enough for toddler attention spans but still introduces many apple-related words.
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Our Favorite Apples
Available from:A trio of tiny friends pick a pile of apples and sort them into baskets of red, yellow, and green fruit. The last few apples don’t belong in any of their color baskets; what should they do? This book is perfect for nurturing young kiddos’ interest in noticing attributes and sorting. Bonus: As with all titles in the Storytelling Math series, the back matter includes caregiver tips and activities to encourage mathematical thinking.
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Hello World! How Do Apples Grow?
Available from:The titles in the Hello World! informational board book series give adults toddler-friendly language to explain concepts. Little learners will discover how a tiny seed turns into yummy apples in this book.
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Ten Apples Up on Top!
Available from:How many apples can you balance atop your head? This energetic, rhyming classic will have kids counting and laughing. Of course, they will want to try stacking and balancing apples after reading.
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Apple Picking Day!
Available from:Going apple picking is a favorite fall tradition for many families. This rhyming early reader captures the fun details of two children’s adventures visiting an orchard.
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Apple of My Pie
Available from:Squirrel pals set out on an emergency mission to rescue Grandpa, who ended up at an apple farm after falling asleep in the farm truck at the city market. Can they reach him before he gets baked into an apple pie? This zany early graphic novel will have kids drooling for the sweet tang of all things apple.
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Apples
Available from:Learn about apples from a nonfiction picture book legend. Gail Gibbons teaches readers about the history of apples, their seasonal cycle, apple varieties, and traditions. The labeled diagrams and how-to pages give readers plenty to pore over.
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Apples for Everyone
Available from:This gorgeous photo essay is like a mouth-watering Intro to Apples 101 course. The brief text introduces kids to how apples grow, their uses, history, and fun apple facts. (Guess what? Apples are the most-eaten fruit in America.) Kids’ questions and ideas can easily spark further research.
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Tree
Available from:Remind kids that apple trees can be found outside of orchards and yards. This cut-paper treasure shows forest animals enjoying an apple tree throughout the seasons. It’s also the perfect introduction to the Peek-Through Picture Book series.
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The Apple Orchard Riddle (Mr. Tiffin’s Classroom Series)
Available from:Mr. Tiffin’s class heads to an orchard on a field trip. Besides tasking them with learning about apple picking and cider production, he gives the class a riddle to solve. It holds their attention as they learn lots of apple-related information, and it will also keep young readers guessing. Part of Mr. Tiffin’s Classroom series, this title is fun to share with elementary school kids.
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How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World
Available from:POV: You want to make an apple pie, but the market is closed. This story takes readers on a journey around the world to collect Italian wheat, French eggs, Sri Lankan cinnamon, and more. It ends in a Vermont apple orchard, picking the most essential ingredient of all. This popular tale is a fun prelude to baking an apple pie and an enticing introduction to exploring a world map.
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