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Autumnblings: Poems and Paintings About Fall Activities for Children
What do you like
about autumn?
Flying kites?
Apple picking?
Trick or treat?
Frisbee flicking?
What do you not like
about autumn?
Back to school?
Winds that gust?
Bare trees?
Rains that rust?
This collection of poems and paintings welcomes fall with all the crisp energy of a joyful tumbling run. A companion volume to the highly praised Winter Eyes and Summersaults, Autumnblings proves once again that Douglas Florian is a poet for all seasons.
about autumn?
Flying kites?
Apple picking?
Trick or treat?
Frisbee flicking?
What do you not like
about autumn?
Back to school?
Winds that gust?
Bare trees?
Rains that rust?
This collection of poems and paintings welcomes fall with all the crisp energy of a joyful tumbling run. A companion volume to the highly praised Winter Eyes and Summersaults, Autumnblings proves once again that Douglas Florian is a poet for all seasons.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2003
1 person is currently reading
70 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
April 19, 2022
So with regard to the selection of over forty autumn (fall) themed poems Douglas Florian presents, his 2003 picture book Autumnblings is in my humble opinion pretty much lyrically delightful in and of itself. And as such, with Autumnblings, Florian does not only show with his smorgasbord of varied and diverse verses a glowing and delightfully caressing poetic celebration of autumn, of fall as the season for fruit picking (harvesting), of changing leaf colours, of increasingly colder temperatures temperatures getting ever closer to the chills and the snows of winter (and thus for me, autumn is of course also a delightful preparation for my favourite season, for winter), no, Douglas Florian also (and for me thankfully) presents a select few poems in Autumnblings that are not altogether positive concerning fall as a season, he also shows that not everyone automatically loves everything about autumn. And indeed, the not so positive towards and celebratory of fall as a season poems that are encountered in Autumnblings, I for one really and truly do very much appreciate these verses (few as they may actually be), as I personally do know and realise that while many people say and proclaim that they very much adore and love autumn, there still is often lots of chilly rain, howling windstorms and and dampness that penetrates into one's very bones, which is most definitely not something altogether positive (and not to mention that many schoolkids do sometimes tend to have a bit of animosity towards autumn because summer is over and school is starting again).
And furthermore, to and for me, with Autumnblings Douglas Florian not only thematically shines with fall verses, but also and equally poetically and textually so, with Florian showing to his readers (both young and old) a diverse and successfully rendered variety of very many different poetic forms (from traditional rhymes to blank verse, lists and even some concrete poetry), and thus making Autumnblings not just a lyrical celebration of autumn but also a great introduction to poetry in general. Five stars for Douglas Florian’s presented fall themed poetry, but yes, my final rating for Summersaults will be three and not five stars, as personally, the accompanying artwork (while certainly bright and cherry) is just a bit too human being centred and often a bit naively unrealistic for me (and also with way way too few depicted autumn leaves). And as such, albeit that Douglas Florian’s poems in Summersaults work really, work exceedingly well on a textual, on a lyrical level, his accompanying illustrations really simply do not aesthetically cut it for me, neither as a visual mirror for the featured poetry nor even as a decorative trim, they are visually adequate perhaps, but certainly do not in any manner shine like Douglas Florian's poems for Autumnblings do.
And furthermore, to and for me, with Autumnblings Douglas Florian not only thematically shines with fall verses, but also and equally poetically and textually so, with Florian showing to his readers (both young and old) a diverse and successfully rendered variety of very many different poetic forms (from traditional rhymes to blank verse, lists and even some concrete poetry), and thus making Autumnblings not just a lyrical celebration of autumn but also a great introduction to poetry in general. Five stars for Douglas Florian’s presented fall themed poetry, but yes, my final rating for Summersaults will be three and not five stars, as personally, the accompanying artwork (while certainly bright and cherry) is just a bit too human being centred and often a bit naively unrealistic for me (and also with way way too few depicted autumn leaves). And as such, albeit that Douglas Florian’s poems in Summersaults work really, work exceedingly well on a textual, on a lyrical level, his accompanying illustrations really simply do not aesthetically cut it for me, neither as a visual mirror for the featured poetry nor even as a decorative trim, they are visually adequate perhaps, but certainly do not in any manner shine like Douglas Florian's poems for Autumnblings do.
August 11, 2016
Lovely, fun, and aimed directly at children. Lots of funny word-play, puns, homonyms & homophones. No adults need run interference or assist w/ interpretation. Almost as good as the companion Winter Eyes, better, imo, than Summersaults. Unfortunately my library doesn't have Handsprings but I put it on my to-read list anyway!
October 4, 2021
A simply delightful book of seasonal poetry. I now want to snatch up all of the other books by Florian. The word play was fun, but what I really loved was how Florian used the text's positioning and design to portray movement on many of the pages.
His works of poetry would be fantastic selections to use when teaching this style of literacy to students. The method in which he turns the words on the page into visual renderings of the meaning is both amusing and wonderfully creative. This could also be used in conjunction with studying illustrations as a literacy focus for students in the classroom.
His works of poetry would be fantastic selections to use when teaching this style of literacy to students. The method in which he turns the words on the page into visual renderings of the meaning is both amusing and wonderfully creative. This could also be used in conjunction with studying illustrations as a literacy focus for students in the classroom.
November 11, 2022
First sentence: Autumn falls in late September.
Premise/plot: Autumnblings is a picture book poetry collection by poet/artist Douglas Florian. There are forty-eight autumn/fall themed poems celebrating this season of the year. It blends two art forms--poetry and art [painting]. Many--though not all--involve word play. Almost all are a celebration of nature.
My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I did. I think my favorite poem from this collection--or one of them at least--is the poem "Awe-tumn."
When summer's seams
Have come undone,
Then greens to reds
And purples run.
A palette falls
To forest floor,
And autumn leaves
Leave me in awe.
I also liked the pumpkin poems! I think they would be such a great read aloud in school classrooms.
The poem about hibernation [aka Hi-bear-nation] was so much fun!!! I loved the word play.
Premise/plot: Autumnblings is a picture book poetry collection by poet/artist Douglas Florian. There are forty-eight autumn/fall themed poems celebrating this season of the year. It blends two art forms--poetry and art [painting]. Many--though not all--involve word play. Almost all are a celebration of nature.
My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I did. I think my favorite poem from this collection--or one of them at least--is the poem "Awe-tumn."
When summer's seams
Have come undone,
Then greens to reds
And purples run.
A palette falls
To forest floor,
And autumn leaves
Leave me in awe.
I also liked the pumpkin poems! I think they would be such a great read aloud in school classrooms.
The poem about hibernation [aka Hi-bear-nation] was so much fun!!! I loved the word play.
October 17, 2017
Poetry. Grades K-6. This book is a lovely collection of poems all about fall! They are all short, quick poems that younger students can enjoy. The poems can also be enjoyed and/or analyzed by older students. There are a variety of styles of poems that can be used during fall. It's a great book of fall poetry for an classroom!
September 19, 2020
This book has the color palette that children can recognize when they hear the word "autumn." This aims for students not only to read a variety of short poems, but for them to understand what happens in autumn and the opinions some may have about that season.
December 29, 2017
Favorite of his books (at least those our library has). Punny and sweet. There's a What I Love About Autumn followed by a What I Hate About Autumn.
November 9, 2018
Beautiful illustrations with lovely poems that even I as an adult loved. Went from checking it out at the library to having to buy it.
October 16, 2019
Awesome book of poetry!!
October 4, 2020
Autumnblings has fun poetry and art, to get into the spirit of Awe-tumn
October 31, 2021
Great collection of seasonal Autumn poetry for grade school age students. There is a nice mix of different types of poetry and cozy autumn vibes.
November 3, 2021
Wordplay and punning is this author's wheelhouse. Lovely funky illustrations accompany poems that take us through the year.
November 21, 2025
I used the "What I Love About Autumn" poem and "Falling."
*Used for my Storytelling course
*Used for my Storytelling course
November 22, 2019
Full of puns and wordplay
February 15, 2015
Preschool to third grade
The poems in this book are cute and I liked them. I wouldn't go so far as to say I loved them, but I could definitely see how some of them could lead into other lessons or discussions, or be a part of another lesson.
My favorite poem was Hi-bear-nation. It is a quick and simple poem of only five lines, with the ending reading, "Do brown bears slum-bear when it's fall?" This would be a terrific poem to lead into a study on hibernation and to start some research into bears hibernating.
Some of the language is pretty challenging and would involve some explanation. For example, one poem includes the word "tree-tice." It actually took me a minute or two to work out that it was a pun on the word treatise. (I think!) There are many tree puns in the book, including "symmetree" and "tree-son." There could be a good discussion on puns with these poems.
The illustrations are all very simple, done in water color and colored pencil. Each poem has one small illustration in a box near the poem. For example, "Plump Pumpkin" has a fat orange jack o' lantern with an orange cat behind it. The illustrations look child-like and sweet. My favorite design element in the book are the poems that follow the shape of the words. In "A falling out" a maple seed spins to the ground, and the words swirl and curve around the page in the same pattern.
I really like the idea of sneaking in short poems into student's days. Because these are so short and sweet, it would take no time to read the children a quick little poem during transition times. Because they are season-specific, obviously I would want to read them during the fall.
The poems in this book are cute and I liked them. I wouldn't go so far as to say I loved them, but I could definitely see how some of them could lead into other lessons or discussions, or be a part of another lesson.
My favorite poem was Hi-bear-nation. It is a quick and simple poem of only five lines, with the ending reading, "Do brown bears slum-bear when it's fall?" This would be a terrific poem to lead into a study on hibernation and to start some research into bears hibernating.
Some of the language is pretty challenging and would involve some explanation. For example, one poem includes the word "tree-tice." It actually took me a minute or two to work out that it was a pun on the word treatise. (I think!) There are many tree puns in the book, including "symmetree" and "tree-son." There could be a good discussion on puns with these poems.
The illustrations are all very simple, done in water color and colored pencil. Each poem has one small illustration in a box near the poem. For example, "Plump Pumpkin" has a fat orange jack o' lantern with an orange cat behind it. The illustrations look child-like and sweet. My favorite design element in the book are the poems that follow the shape of the words. In "A falling out" a maple seed spins to the ground, and the words swirl and curve around the page in the same pattern.
I really like the idea of sneaking in short poems into student's days. Because these are so short and sweet, it would take no time to read the children a quick little poem during transition times. Because they are season-specific, obviously I would want to read them during the fall.
October 18, 2012
"Autumnblings" is collection of poems written and illustrated by Douglas Florian. The intended age group of this book is primary ages five through eight. The book is poetry about autumn and the changes that happen in the season. There are 48 poems accompanying descriptive paintings. My favorite poem in this collection is "What I Love About Autumn" because it reminds me of all the things I love about fall. I like how Douglas Florian uses form to create meaning with the words in his books. This is also known as concrete poems, which is an interesting element to children. These poems have a rhythm and structure that flows, is easy to follow and comprehend. The poems are fun and energetic for children to embrace the autumn season. I rated this book five stars because this is a great book to share with children in the fall months. Children like this book because they can relate to the topics. This book is a great resource to use to spark for ideas for children to write their own poetry.
February 25, 2015
I very much enjoyed the book Autmnblings and the way it highlighted a lot of different aspects of fall. The illustrations were unique and the pomes themselves were interesting and held my attention.
Autumnblings would be a great story to read to children between first and second grade. The book would be a great way to introduce a lesson on the seasons and it could be be used as a tool to foster a discussion on everyones favorite part of fall. Autumnblings also provides students with two different types of poetry; list and shape poems. The book could be read either independtly or aloud to the class.
Autumnblings would be a great story to read to children between first and second grade. The book would be a great way to introduce a lesson on the seasons and it could be be used as a tool to foster a discussion on everyones favorite part of fall. Autumnblings also provides students with two different types of poetry; list and shape poems. The book could be read either independtly or aloud to the class.
January 7, 2015
I've had this forever, well since I did my Autumn Preschool storytime back in November, so I figured it was about time I stopped renewing it and started reading it. Since Autumn is my favorite season and I love poetry, this book seemed like a good fit. The book is a very creative group of short poetry about Autumn, and also has original painted illustrations by the author. I especially like the concrete poems. My favorites were "Apple Picking", "Up and Down", "Geese Piece", and "The Colors of Autumn". Recommended for ages 5-9, 5 stars.
June 28, 2011
25 months - O is really not into poetry, as I found out this month when I borrowed 3-4 books from the library. But this book of poems did remind her of the seasons and she's talking about them again. There were 2 or 3 poems that I really enjoyed and the others were just ok. We will have to revisit this one in the fall next year.
January 28, 2011
another seasonal poetry book by florian.
-this book was the book of the month at my internship school, and it's better for older children (3rd-5th).
-great illustrations, has a lot of play on words and fun to read or use the poems in your classroom.
-this book was the book of the month at my internship school, and it's better for older children (3rd-5th).
-great illustrations, has a lot of play on words and fun to read or use the poems in your classroom.
October 25, 2012
Wonderful book to teach students about the different types of poetry. This book has a great collection of poems for younger children. Amazing book to kick off the fall season. The poems are also very playful and written in a language that speaks to the kid.
November 20, 2016
This is a good book to have in your classroom. If you want to read a poem a day to your students in the fall, this is a good one to pick. It shows all the wonderful things that you can do in the fall put into poetry.
May 12, 2009
Collection of poems sharing the sights, sounds and activities of autumn. Colorful illustrations accompany each poem.
December 4, 2009
Fun, fall, festive.
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November 20, 2010Get this one again next Fall. Great fun.
November 24, 2010
Love this book. Love Douglas Florian's poems and paintings for kids and kids at heart. I'm reading poetry with art for inspiration. I highly recommend to read and/or purchase.
December 22, 2010
A great collection of poems for younger children. Makes a perfect kick off to the fall season!! The poems are also very playful and whimsical and written in a language that speaks to the kid set.
April 9, 2011
I love this book! It is great to read during the Autumn Season, and it has really good examples of poetry that you could use for examples with your children when they write.
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October 11, 2011Concrete poem, alliteration, onomatopoeia etc.
January 7, 2012
Poet Florian is amazing in everything he does. Autumblings is no exception. Poems such as "Hi-bear-nation" are hilarious! His poetry is kid-friendly, humorous and highly storytime readable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews