Hello, Fall!

by Deborah Diesen, Lucy Fleming (Illustrator)

A grandfather and his granddaughter welcome fall in this sweet, whimsical story about finding beauty and wonder in every moment.

Fall is here! Colorful leaves whisper to each other. Geese honk as they flock across the sky. Pumpkins listen patiently from their patch. The season announces itself in all sorts of ways--if you stop to say hello! From New York Times-bestselling author Deborah Diesen and illustrator Lucy Fleming, Hello, Fall! is a touching story of the autumn season.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Nature, Fiction, Family, Storytime, Holiday

32 pages, Hardcover

Published July 31, 2018

About the author

Deborah Diesen is the author of The Pout-Pout Fish, a rhyming children's picture book illustrated by Dan Hanna and published by Farrar Straus Giroux. Her book The Barefooted, Bad-Tempered Baby Brigade was published by Tricycle Press. She lives in Michigan. Visit her web site at www.deborahdiesen.com and her blog at jumpingthecandlestick.blogspot.com

http://us.macmillan.com/author/debora...

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. It's a little early for Fall, but because I love fall I went ahead and got this book. Beat the rush I guess. It's been almost 100 degrees here the past few days and I'm sick of the humid sticky heat. I'm ready for Fall so much. Bring on soup and cooler temps. I love the changing light and the leaves will start turning very soon.

This book brings back all the best memories of fall for me as a possible granddad and granddaughter take a stroll through fall together. Pumpkins, leaves, Wooly caterpillars and all the wonderful colors of Fall. It's a beautiful book that conjures up my love of the season.

Love the artwork here. The kids loved the book too and they are also ready for fall. They wanted Apple Cider after reading this. They gave it 5 stars.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing new under the sun here, but I thought it was adorable. The illustrations made me feel all happy and cozy, and I loved the little girl's exploration in the woods with her grandfather. Though mostly a book about autumn, the last page includes a Thanksgiving feast.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a lot (a LOT) of books about fall, but this may be the most poetic book about fall I've ever read. The illustrations are beautiful and fun, and the interaction between the two characters is compelling. It's a beautiful book to share with children about the season.

[The Story Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the cute illustrations of fall in this short children's book.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A walk down memory lane as a grandfather, and granddaughter recall their walk outside together during the Fall season, and all the sights, sounds, smells and the beauty, bounty and wonder they encountered during their walk.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations are about the only good thing about this otherwise dull book.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A child and their parent/grandparent have an adventurous day in fall. They walk through the trees, talk about the animals, and finally pick pumpkins. This was a typical book. Not bad byt nothing special.

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aw, sweet book of a girl & her grandpa enjoying fall 🍂

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about a girl and her grandfather enjoying aspects of fall. The story is a bit disjointed.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kiddo wanted grandpa to read when he realized the man in the story was a grandpa, too

[Elora Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable and I'm sooooo ready for autumn now!!!

[Alex Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of weird

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A grandfather and granddaughter welcome the Autumn season.

[Ampersand Inc. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely celebration of Fall.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute illustrations that add depth to the kid/grandpa relationship, the use of the past tense is a bit distracting. Nothing new here, but not unpleasant. Ages 3-5.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hello, Fall! by Deborah Diesen, illustrated by Lucy Fleming. PICTURE BOOK. Farrar Straus Giroux (Macmillan), 2018. $17. 9780374307547

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL.

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

A girl and what appears to be her grandpa are illustrated exploring different elements of fall. They watch squirrels bury nuts, listen to the leaves, eat apples, pick out pumpkins, and more. The text is told in a nostalgic tone, asking “do you remember when we…” The illustrations are a vivid display of fall colors.

I feel very neutral about this book. It was a good basic book about the charms of fall, but didn’t have any extra zing. The little girl is cutely illustrated, but the very small hat on the grandpa was distracting to me. The nostalgic element, constantly referring to the past, didn’t really add much value to the text. It might appeal to a reader who has lost someone special recently.

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...

[RobbyReadsActually · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio (Macmillan Young Listeners), and Deborah Diesen for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Book rating: 5
Audio rating: 4
Total: 4.5 rounded up
Audiobook Release Date: 8/4/2026

My thoughts on the book:
This is a very cute and cozy children's story about a grandfather and his granddaughter welcoming fall. It will teach children to find the beauty in the little moments, which I think is an important lesson. As this was an audiobook, unfortunately I can't see all of the artwork inside, but the cover is illustrated beautifully.

My thoughts on the Audio:
This book is narrated by Kate Coventry, and I think she did an amazing job. She has an extremely pleasant voice that I think kids will find appealing. The audiobook also has soft music and sound effects to accompany the narration. My only note regarding the audio production is that the volume seems really low. I had the volume at just about medium, and I could barely hear it and had to turn it all the way up.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the illustrations in this book; the colors were stunning and the pictures were detailed and cute. I didn’t appreciate the lack of character introduction at the start of the story. I wasn’t sure if this was a granddaughter and her grandfather or if I was making an inaccurate assumption about their relationship. I think the plotline was okay, but something about it felt disjointed and it didn’t catch my interest as much. I kind of just read through the words and mostly focused on the beautiful pictures, but afterwards I found myself wishing that the story had been more engaging for me.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

A grandfather and his granddaughter explore the delights of the autumn season, from wooly caterpillars, flowers, pumpkins, and fall leaves, perfect for scattering when someone just can't resist jumping in. The narrator seems to be nostalgic for these times and how they all add up to love and laughter, and I liked some of the points of reflection on shared delight and the description but wasn't sure what the main idea was here other than greeting the new season with all of its splendors. The colors are rich and representative of the season being celebrated here.

[Kayla Angeletti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this little book! Seeing the detail and colors on each page really made me think of fall and made the book even more enjoyable! This book showed a little girl and her grandpa doing a lot of things you can do during fall such as picking pumpkins and jumping in piles of leaves! I could read this book over and over again because it was just such a nice book! I would read this book to my class, especially when the season changes to fall! Children could relate to this book because these are all things that happen in the fall too! 10/10 would recommend this book!

[Kyndal Bard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect time for the book Hello, Fall! I really enjoyed it and the illustrations made it even better. The pictures are red , orange , yellow , all things fall and cozy. It’s about a grandfather and granddaughter bringing in fall together , jumping in the leaves as finding the beauty in love and all the little moments. I would read this to my class right now and talk about the 4 seasons , see which one is their favorite and ask what their fall plans and what they’re looking most forward to. I think this book is best suited for kindergarten and first grade.

[Regency_Fan_ Michelle RegencyFanMichelleAndMore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hello, Fall! by Deborah Diesen, narrated by Kate Coventry, is a sweet and cozy listen celebrating the beauty of the autumn season.

The narration was very well done—warm, gentle, and easy to listen to. However, this feels like a story that really depends on its illustrations, and that doesn’t fully translate to the audiobook format.

It was still a nice listen overall, but I think this one shines more as a physical picture book than as an audiobook.

I received a complimentary copy and was under no obligation to leave a positive review.

[Dave Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading level: ages 2-6

Summary: A story about a grandfather and his granddaughter enjoying the colors and beauty of fall.

Characteristics that support the genre: Colorful, autumn season book.

Writing traits:
Voice: Story is told in the voice of the little girl.
Presentation: the book is presented with large color drawings on each page, with 1-2 sentences of text.

Classroom Integration: This book could be read in the fall.

[Shamaa Farah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A child and her grandfather go on a walk during fall. I like the use of imagery throughout the book. “Squirrels were everywhere, digging holes and hiding acorns" I also like the way the author incorporated sounds such as geese and leaves and laughing. The grandfather and grandchild reminisce around a warm fireplace and gather for a Thanksgiving feast with others. It's a cute story about the loving relationship between a grandfather and their grandchild enjoying quality time together.

[Tweller83 · Rating 4 out of 5]

2/2/22: This has beautiful pictures, that is what drew me to this book at the library (where I bought it) in the first place. The prose was decent, not exactly what I was expecting, but it was a cute story about a little girl and what appears to be her grandfather finding out about fall together. Sweet and something I will definitely read to my grandchild. While it isn't my favorite, it is a good book which I would recommend.

[AJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2/2/22: This has beautiful pictures, that is what drew me to this book at the library (where I bought it) in the first place. The prose was decent, not exactly what I was expecting, but it was a cute story about a little girl and what appears to be her grandfather finding out about fall together. Sweet and something I will definitely read to my grandchild. While it isn't my favorite, it is a good book which I would recommend.

[Emma VanOrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio copy from Net Galley and Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners. This was AMAZING! Fall vocabulary was worked well into it. The narrator had music and different sounds in the background to accompany the words. It felt like you were really there and it was happening around you. Her words were annuciated well and she is a great children's narrator! I can't wait to read this to my class right before Fall! 5⭐️

[Little Bitts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hello, Fall is a story about a granddaughter and her grandfather who enjoy the different aspects of fall. Fall is almost seen as an additional character and interacts with the family. This would be a fun book for fall themed reading. The audio included some sound effects and background music. (I was able to speed it up slightly without losing clarity.)

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Diesen's The Pout Pout Fish...and so I was looking forward to sharing Hello, Fall! with my preschool outreach groups , but it was not what I was expecting. The illustrations are very colorful and capture autumn well, and I like the concept of the grandfather and granddaughter sharing special "autumn" moments, but these moments (flow of text) just fall flat.

[Madison Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet book for the beginning of fall! This book is about a little girl and her grandfather who go on a walk in the beginning of fall. They take note of things that occur in the fall, as trees lose their leaves and animals prepare to go into hibernation. They also do “fall-themed” things such as drinking cider and picking pumpkins! This book would be a great lesson on seasons.