This picture book recommendation, “Fall Mixed Up”, written by Bob Raczka, illustrated by Chad Cameron can be found at:
Amazon (not affiliated at this time)
https://www.worldcat.org/ Library near you
https://www.indiebound.org/ Local Bookstore
FALL IS A FAVORITE
Autumn is Awesome! The many changes and activities create a great adventure for kids and adults alike. The changing leaves, harvest time, exciting holidays, and cool sports. The weather cools off and it’s a great time to wrap up in a blanket and read a book. Grab a novel for yourself and a fall picture book for your kids.
WHY I RECOMMEND “FALL MIXED UP”
When I came across “Fall Messed Up”, it checked all the right boxes for me. It’s silly, the art is interesting, the rhyme fun, it’s interactive, and it teaches without feeling like it’s teaching. I’ve taught kids my entire life and think this book creates a fun learning opportunity.
I enjoyed this fall picture book. So did my grandsons. And so will you!
Silly
One of the best strategies for getting a kid into what your teaching is to make intentional mistakes. To keep a toddler engaged when you’re trying to dress them, put their socks on their hands or their underwear on their head. They’ll want to do it themselves because you’re doing it wrong. If you’re teaching a song, test their memory by saying the wrong word at the end. Be ridiculous and insist that Saturday comes after Wednesday. “Okay, then. What does come after Wednesday?”
This story does exactly that with everyone around a campfire. “Hats cover hands. Gloves cover ears.”
The entire book is mixed up, so every single page is an opportunity to find out what your kid knows and then teach the concept if they haven’t learned it yet.
If they do know, are they going to go along with the absurd because they love the silliness of it? Or will show their knowledge and tell you how it really should be?
Number of Fall Subject
How many fall subjects are there? Bob Raczka covers probably every single aspect you can think of. No matter how many times you read this book and to what age group, you’ll find something to teach or talk about. Here are the topics I found:
- seasonal changes
- animal habits
- fruit and veggie colors
- sports
- agriculture
- butterflies
- animal sounds
- fall activities
- seasonal food
- Halloween creatures
- Halloween traditions
- Thanksgiving traditions
I’m sure there are even more!
Rhyming
The rhyme is fun and easy to follow. It’s probably not predictable enough for kids to end the phrase for you the first time through, but if you read it often enough, they will. And this is certainly a book I plan on reading over and over.
Illustrations
Chad Cameron uses fun mixed media illustrations to pull you into this zany world. He combines mostly soft images with occasional crisp and defined areas of the page. For instance, on the page with the scarecrow his body is soft and muted, while the monarch butterflies are crisp and realistic. It’s interesting and fun to look at. And punny!
Plus, he does an amazing job of including crazy mixed up things that aren’t even mentioned, which leads me to . . .
End Challenge
At the end of the book, Bob challenges his readers to go back and find all the things that aren’t right. Of course, the words lead you to find a lot of them, but the illustrations lead to many more outlandish fall ideas, like a turkey as a referee.
FALL ADVENTURE OF YOUR OWN
I hope you’ll check this fall picture book out and enjoy it as much as I did. Maybe I’ll create my own Fall Mixed Up party with my family. They’ll wonder if Mom and Grammie has flipped her lid.
OTHER ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE
How the Love of Reading Affects Your Life & Children
For more great teaching techniques, look here.
YOUR TURN
Have you read this book before? If you’re a teacher, what fun ways do you get your students involved in your lessons? Is this a book you’ll incorporate with your students, kids, grandkids? Is there another fun fall picture book you’d like me to read and recommend?
