Looking for some pumpkin picture books for speech therapy to read aloud with your little learners this fall? You’re in the right place! October is one of my favorite months for therapy—I love all things fall and Halloween, especially pumpkins! I don’t drink pumpkin spice lattes, but I do eat pumpkin donuts and read pumpkin-themed picture books. This fun round-up will give you fresh ideas for your sessions and make you feel like you’re strolling through a pumpkin patch!
*This post contains Amazon Affiliate links*
The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Steven Kroll
This isn’t the first time I’ve featured Desmond and Clayton (two of my favorite mice!) on my blog…. and it probably won’t be the last! haha.. I do love this little book series. This time around, they fall in love with the exact same pumpkin! During the day, Clayton waters the pumpkin and Desmond does the same thing at night. They have no idea that they’re each watering and fertilizing the same pumpkin. Eventually it becomes enormous and they enter it into the biggest pumpkin contest! This book is great to target:
- Comparatives/Superlatives – big, bigger, biggest
- How Questions – How to take care of a pumpkin? How to carve a pumpkin?
- Compare/Contrast – Desmond is a field mouse and Clayton is a house mouse. These two characters are great to compare/contrast!
Want to buy the book? Find it here: The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Steven Kroll
Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman
I just love this story! A witch wants some pumpkin pie, so she plants a pumpkin seed! She waters the plant and it eventually becomes gigantic! It’s so big that she can’t pull it off the vine. Along comes a ghost, who declares that he’s stronger than her and he tries to pull it off the vine. He can’t either! Then a variety of other Halloween creatures stop by and try to help, but to no avail! Finally, with the help of a teeny tiny bat they are able to get the pumpkin off of the vine and make some pie! It’s such a cute story and I love how it’s written in a pattern! You can use this book to target:
- Sequencing – First the ghost came along, then a vampire, etc
- Problem Solving – How did they finally get it off the vine? They had to work together!
- Synonyms – I think it would be fun to have students come up with other words for “big.” You can get some orange post-its and write a different synonym on each one!
Big Pumpkin Activities
This is hands-down one of my favorite pumpkin books, so I had to create a literature flip book companion for it! Literature flip books are interactive companions. They’re hands-on and kids love to “collect” them!
These book activities address comparing/contrasting, sequencing, and comprehension! There is also a companion booklet that takes a deep dive into the story elements of Big Pumpkin!
You can find these activities in The Speech is Sweet Club, in October Literature Flip Books 2nd Edition, or in a bundle!
Need a copy of this book? Snag it here: Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman
Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell
This is the sweetest story! Tim names his jack-o’-lantern Jack. After Halloween, he keeps him in his room and watches him glow at night. Eventually, he starts to rot and his mother makes him get rid of it. He doesn’t have the heart to throw him away, so he takes him out to the garden! Over the weeks, he visits Jack… and each time he looks a little different. The seasons change eventually a tiny sprout appears! Tim takes care of the plant and grows pumpkins for his entire neighborhood! This is a great book to address:
- Time Concepts – What happens during each season to Jack? In the winter, he’s covered in snow. In the spring, he’s just a pile of seeds.
- Sequencing – Use this book to talk about the lifecycle of a pumpkin and sequence the steps! It’s a great way to incorporate science into speech!
- Adjectives – This book features tons of rich vocabulary! Fierce smile, silly face, withered leaves, etc
Purchase a copy of this book here: Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell
Five Little Pumpkins by Dan Yaccarino
This is a classic book and I love using it in speech therapy! Five little pumpkins are sitting on a gate and one by one they roll down the hill! It’s cute, simple, and memorable! Use this book to work on:
- Rhyming – You can even sing this story with your students! You can work on finding all of the rhyming words.
- Sequencing – Work on the words first, second, third, fourth, and fifth! This is an easy book to use to help students use sequential vocabulary.
- Emotions – I love that the pumpkins have different facial expressions! There are three happy pumpkins, a surprised pumpkin, and a scared pumpkin. The surprised pumpkin says “oh my, it’s getting late” and the scared pumpkin says “there are witches in the air.” I just love those little details! Students can practice different facial expressions and talk about feelings.
Find the book here: Five Little Pumpkins by Dan Yaccarino
The Ugly Pumpkin by Dave Horowitz
Seriously, this is such a sweet story. It’s great for anytime in the fall, as it spans all the way until Thanksgiving! The Ugly Pumpkin is slender and not like everyone else. No one ever picks him, but he does get picked on. He’s sad, because everyone always plays mean tricks on him. Eventually, he seeks solitude in a garden that’s filled with squash. He looks around and discovers that they all look just like him! He finally fits in and is so happy! All the squash have a Thanksgiving dinner and the Ugly Pumpkin finally has a home. You can target:
- Social Skills – Talk about the things people did to the Ugly Pumpkin and why their behavior is unpleasant. Brainstorm ways to make the Ugly Pumpkin feel happy.
- Compare/Contrast – Compare different pumpkins, they come in all shapes and sizes! You can also compare/contrast Halloween and Thanksgiving.
- Rhyming
The Ugly Pumpkin Activities
I made a literature flip book for The Ugly Pumpkin too! This is such a great read for after Halloween. This book companion explores The Ugly Pumpkin’s character traits and includes a variety of activities to support narrative language and comprehension.
Download these activities by joining The Speech is Sweet Club! They can also be found in October Literature Flip Books 2nd Edition, or in a bundle!
Snag a copy of this book here: The Ugly Pumpkin by Dave Horowitz
Pumpkin Picture Books Conclusion
I hope this list of pumpkin picture books for speech therapy gives you plenty of ideas to bring fall fun into your sessions! Pumpkins are such a versatile theme—you can use them in September, October, and even November. Whether you’re working on sequencing, vocabulary, or retelling, these books will keep your students engaged and excited to learn.
If you’re looking for more fall speech therapy activities? Check out these blog posts:
Fall Speech Therapy Activities: A Mega Guide for SLPs
Fall Interactive Articulation Notebook Activities
Apple Themed Speech Therapy
Candy Apple Speech Therapy Craft
Squirrel Themed Speech Therapy
Five Fall Crafts for Speech Therapy
Leaf Picture Books Round-Up
When the Leaf Blew In Freebie
Thank you for stopping by! Have a wonderful day!
