12+ Engaging Books About the Months of the Year
These books about the months of the year can help spark children’s interest in learning about dates, calendars, and the seasons. They’re also just fun to read, especially at New Year’s or back to school time.
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Last year when I wrote a post about our paper plate months of the year craft, I included a few books about the months of the year. I remember that it was hard to track them down. Nevertheless, I wanted to see if I could find some more good ones. It turns out that once I was on a roll, I actually found enough for a post of their very own!
Books About the Months of the Year
Santa’s Eleven Months Off (affiliate) by Mike Reiss follows Santa Claus through every month of the year with humor and a sense of adventure.
A Busy Year (affiliate) by Leo Lionni is an engaging story about twin mice and a talking tree. Every month, the mice check in with the changing tree.
Please Try to Remember the First of Octember (affiliate) by Dr. Seuss is fun for kids who already know their months well enough to know that “Octember” is made up. The book doesn’t go through every month of the year, but I think it still fits well in this category.
When the Moon is Full: A Lunar Year (affiliate) by Penny Pollock and illustrated by Caldecott winner Mary Azarian. Each spread of pages includes the month name, a Native American name for the full moon during that month, and an 8-line poem. A lovely choice for bright, inquisitive children.
Twelve Hats for Lena (affiliate) by Karen Katz is bright and simple. It would be fun to pair with a hat-making craft (or the crowns included in the Months of the Year Pack in my store!)
A Child’s Calendar (affiliate) by John Updike is a beautifully illustrated book with a lovely poem for each month. For younger children, you may want to read just one season’s worth at a time. It’s a great choice for introducing poetry to young readers.
Around the Year (affiliate) by Tasha Tudor has more pages and fewer words than A Child’s Calendar. This classic is a gentle, old-fashioned treat for learning about the months of the year.
The Turning of the Year (affiliate) by Bill Martin is also written in short verse. It follows two children through each month of the year.
A Red Wagon Year (affiliate) by Kathi Appelt looks at the year through the lens of a little red wagon. I didn’t get my hands on this one, but the editorial reviews are good. If the premise appeals to you, I think it’s worth checking out if your library has it, or picking up a used copy if it doesn’t.
Jump for Joy: A Book of Months (affiliate) by Megan Halsey is simple enough for very young children, and many of the months have actions (like jumping) that the kids can imitate as you read.
Jump Into January (affiliate) by Stella Blackstone invites readers to match seasonal words across the bottom of the page spread with their pictures in the illustration.
Hap-Pea All Year! (affiliate) by Keith Baker is adorable! Baker’s peas-with-personality play in the snow settled on the word “January,” fly kites above the windblown letters spelling “March,” and ice skate beneath a gift-wrapped “December.”
All Year Round (affiliate) by Susan B. Katz is perfect if you want to work in some learning about shapes while you also teach the months of the year.
One Wolf Howls by Scotti Cohn intertwines counting, poetry, and facts about wolves together with the months of the year. This realistically illustrated nonfiction picture book is a fantastic choice for animal lovers.
A Year with Friends (affiliate) by John Seven is a simple book with sweet pictures and few words. I need to put this one on my list of Friendship books too.
Last but not least, there’s Maurice Sendak’s classic Chicken Soup with Rice. We love the memorable lines – they’re a joy to read aloud, and should be on everyone’s list of books about the months of the year.
Okay, I know that’s actually sixteen books about the Months of the Year. I made the title image and then just kept finding more! I must have gotten better at searching… So consider the extra four a bonus.
Happy reading!
P.S. –
If you’re a teacher looking for some hands-on easy prep ways to reinforce the months of the year, you may also like these months of the year activities in my store:
Perfect for pinning:
