Sometimes, one of the most daunting things about being a teacher is sorting through the plethora of resources available and deciding which ones to use. This is especially true when it comes to books for preschoolers. There are so many good options out there, how do you decide??? Hopefully, I can be of some help here. I’ve sifted through other blog posts and raided my local library to help you narrow your search. Below you will find my 10 favorite books about apples for preschoolers (in no particular order).
Before I give you my first selection, I want to mention that when choosing books to use with my kids, I make sure to include both fiction and nonfiction. I, as many other teachers probably do, tend to gravitate towards fiction. I love to share a good story with kids, whether it depicts a relatable situation that’s easy to connect to or an unfamiliar story that expands kids’ understanding and perception of the world. Stories are the best!! But the truth is, kids, especially my oldest boy, are very curious and love to learn facts. Exposing kids to the structure of nonfiction text, as well as the realistic depiction of things through photography is just as important.
So without further ado, my ten favorite preschool books about apples:
The Apple Pie Tree By Zoe Hall
The Apple Pie Tree, By Zoe Hall is a staple in most apple units. I continue to use it for two reasons. I love the illustrations. This book uses a collage format to depict an apple tree in its different stages: dormant, buds, blossoms, leaves, and apples. Most of the collages are displayed against a white background, which tends to hold the attention of my younger kids. Another reason why I continue to choose this book is because of its strong connection to the cycle of the seasons. This book could be referred back to when learning about the four seasons or used to introduce the four seasons.
Ten Red Apples Up On Top By Dr. Seuss
Ten Red Apples Up On Top, by Dr. Seuss doesn’t veer from Dr. Seuss’ fun, silly, rhyming style. This book follows three characters, a tiger, lion and dog, as they compete to balance the most apples on their heads while doing ridiculous things. Kids always laugh out loud at this one, as they point out the impossible ways that the animals manage to keep apples balanced on top of their heads. Another reason why I love this book is the very clear connection to math. After reading this story, it is a perfect opportunity to set up apple themed counting centers.
Apples By Gail Gibbons
Gail Gibbons is a guru when it comes to non fiction books for young kids. Although I probably would not be able to read this book from start to finish to my younger preschoolers, kids in prekindergarten or kindergarten would be able to attend to the words and pictures of this nonfiction selection. Apples, by Gail Gibbons, touches on many aspects of apples, including where they come from, Johnny Appleseed, how they grow, parts of an apple, pollination, harvesting apples, what people do with apples and even types of an apple. Teachers can easily use this book to showcase one or two pages to introduce some of these more specific concepts. Or simply introduce the book to the kids and set it on the shelf for them to look through when they get the chance.
Apple Farmer Annie By Monica Wellington
Apple Farmer Annie By Monica Wellington tells the story of apple farming through the eyes of a farmer named Annie. The very simple text and colorful illustrations show readers what it’s like to harvest apples and what to do with them after they’ve been picked. The story focuses less on the cycles of an apple tree and more on what to do with the actual apple. Farmer Annie bakes all kinds of goodies and sells them, along with fresh apples, at the farmer’s market. At the end of the story, Farmer Annie shares some yummy recipes. This book may just inspire your little reader to make and try something new!
Apples and Pumpkins By Anne Rockwell
Apples and Pumpkins By Anne Rockwell is a simple story about a little girl who visits a local farm to pick apples and pumpkins. It is narrated in the first person, from the perspective of the little girl, whose name is not mentioned. She talks about the farm animals that follow her to the orchard and her hunt to find the perfect pumpkin. At the end, she carves a jack o lantern and goes trick or treating. I love this story because it is told the way a child would tell it. It is simple and relatable and sure to spark all kinds of connections with young readers.
Apples for Everyone By Jill Esbaum
Another non-fiction selection, Apples for Everyone By Jill Esbaum made my list of favorites because of its eye-catching photographs. This text touches on growing apples, harvesting apples, how to enjoy apples, Johnny Appleseed and different types of apples. It is full of large photographs, many with kids included. It is the perfect book to emphasize what we can learn about apples and maybe even spark a few curiosities as well.
Ten Red Apples By Pat Hutchins
Pat Hutchins is another popular preschool author! Ten Red Apples is a folksy story about a farmer who is trying to harvest the apples on his apple tree. But every time he counts his apples, another farm animal comes by and eats one! I absolutely love the repetition and predictable text in this story. The colorful illustrations also allow readers to predict what animal is coming to eat an apple next. This book lends itself to math connections, including counting, less than/more than, and subtraction.
**If you’re looking for companion activities for this book, find the link below about my previous post!**
https://mrsmamabird.com/2021/08/18/tenredapples/
Tap the Magic Tree By Christie Matheson
This book is so fun!! Once again, there is just something about illustrations against a stark white background that draws my kids in. This books takes readers through the process of growing apples on an apple tree. But they don’t just get to read about it. This story invites readers to tap the tree to create magical changes. From leaves to buds to blossoms to apples, readers can interact with each step. It can be used to emphasize the cycle that an apple tree endures or introduce the characteristics of each season, similar to The Apple Pie Tree.
Secrets of the Apple Tree By Carron Brown & Alyssa Nassner
Secrets of the Apple Tree is an Usborne publication from the Shine-a-Light series. If you’re not familiar with these books, you’re in for a treat! These books are designed to be read with a flashlight. Each page is backed by a hidden image that appears when a flashlight is shone on the back of the page. My kids love these books! Secrets of the Apple Tree is one of my favorite books about apples because it gives kids a unique way to interact with text and learn about apple trees.
Apple By Nikki McClure
I went back and forth about including this book on my list for preschoolers because most teachers would agree this book appears to be geared more for babies and toddlers. In the end, I decided to include it because many of you might be trying to teach preschool with your babies and toddlers around. This book is perfect to include in a discovery basket for baby to flip through while you read to your preschooler. For those of you who are just teaching preschoolers, take a moment to appreciate this book with me. Each page depicts an event in the story with black, white and red illustrations. These illustrations are actually intricate paper cut outs of each image. The illustrations are also accompanied by one word on each page, a verb, the most important action taking place at that point in the story. Kids could easily use these words to practice sentence building and explain the story in their own words. Apple, by Nikki McClure is a versatile book about apples that could be used on many levels to engage kids.
Those are my ten favorites!! I hope you are able to use some or all of these wonderful books with your little learners. Do you agree with my selections? Feel free to leave a comment below about how you would use these books with kids!!!
Mrs Mama Bird 