The Best Children’s Books About Apples Kids Love

They glisten in grocery marts and your fruit bowls. If you’re lucky enough to live close to an apple orchard, you know how sweet apple blossoms smell. Introducing children to apples is just one of the many privileges you have as a parent (or grandparent, aunt, or teacher!). Luckily for you, there are lots of children’s books about apples to help you clarify new concepts. You can watch as your kiddo’s eyes light up when they bite into a juicy apple after falling in love with a book about apples. They sparkle with the pride of understanding.

We put the list of best children’s books about apples together with a couple of factors in mind. It’s important we choose books at different reading levels to appeal to a wide range of kids. We include a non-fiction book that focuses on apple facts and real-life apple photographs. We chose fiction stories (some that rhyme and some that don’t) that teach kids about different processes relating to apples. Some include activities for you to explore along with your kids. The others are for your kids to enjoy on their own in their favorite reading nooks.

A-Z Animals Top Picks for Children’s Books About Apples

#1 Best Overall: Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington

The best overall children’s book about apples is Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington.

This book is available in Kindle, hardcover, paperback, and board book formats. It’s all about Annie, an apple farmer who loves making the yummiest apple treats from all the apples she picks on her own. She, of course, saves all the best apples to sell at the market. Annie makes everything from apple cider to apple muffins and applesauce. She doesn’t forget about cakes and pies. In this book, your kiddo follows Annie through all of her activities, including going out to pick apples, counting them, sorting them, baking them, and selling them. She also shares some of her simple apple recipes that you and your kiddo can try at home.

This book is ideal for young children between one and four years old. Customers rate it 4.8 out of five stars. The story is simple and very cute. Each page is bursting with color and fun illustrations of Annie as she goes about her apple-focused days.

Unfortunately, some customers reported that their book was damaged when they received it.

Pros and Cons of Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington

Best Overall

Apple Farmer Annie

• Colors and numbers along with ingredients help children learn as they follow along with the story.
• Book is ideal for young children between one and four years old
• Customers rate it 4.8 out of five stars

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2. Most Inspirational: Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship by Edward Hemingway

There should always be an inspiring book in your child’s collection and Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship by Edward Hemingway is exactly that.

It’s available in Kindle and paperback formats. It’s about an apple that stands firm against some bullies. The apple‘s name is Mac and in the story, he meets a worm named Will. They very quickly become friends and start to teach one another different games. They get so close they start finishing each other sentences. However, there is a belief that worms and apples should not like one another so others start to bully Mac. They call him “rotten” and “bad apple.” At first, he doesn’t know what to do.

This book touches on what happens when somebody starts bullying you. Sometimes, you don’t know how to respond. It’s not easy to stand up to people who are being rude and unkind toward you. However, after spending a day without his new friend Will, Mac decides that he would rather they call him a bad apple than feel like a sad apple without his best friend. The book touches on how social norms can impact children that choose to exist outside of the box. It’s a charming story that inspires kids to ask, “Who cares what they think?” Just live!

This is a great story for children between three and six years old and is ultimately a celebration of friendship. It sets up a good foundation and a positive tone for talking about tolerance, bullying, and acceptance. The illustrations beautifully accompany the story, and the characters come to life on the pages.

Pros and Cons of Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship by Edward Hemingway

Best Inspirational

Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship

• Teaches your child how to deal with bullying
• Great story for children between three and six years old
• Customers rate this book 4.8 out of five stars

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3. Best Board Book: Ten Apples Up On Top! by Dr Seuss

In our opinion, the best board book is Ten Apples Up On Top! by Dr Seuss.

Dr. Seuss is perhaps one of the most easily recognizable names when it comes to children’s books. This one is all about counting your way through a fun stacking adventure along with Dr. Seuss. The goal here is not to let the apples drop. There are three animal friends including a lion, a tiger, and a dog. It teaches children all about numbers but of course, it accomplishes this in a really fun and rhyming way with Dr. Seuss’ unmistakable charm. Children learn to count to 10 and then they can start all over again. It’s best suited for children between two and five years old. It’s available in hardcover, paperback, or board book formats.

However, this book is an abridged version and does not feature the same ending as the original book.

Pros and Cons of Ten Apples Up On Top! by Dr Seuss

Best Board Book

Ten Apples Up On Top!

• Fun Dr. Seuss classic
• Available in hardcover, paperback, or board book formats.
• Customers rate this book 4.9 out of five stars

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4. Best Scientific Book: Apple Trees and The Seasons by Julie K Lundgren

For a more scientific take on everything related to apples and apple trees check out Apple Trees and The Seasons by Julie K Lundgren.

It’s 24 pages long and is ideal for children between four and six years old. It contains real-life photographs, and the pages are simple and easy to read. The book features before and after-reading vocabulary and includes some reading tips to improve comprehension. The book is meant to teach your child about apple trees and cleverly invites your child to practice early reading comprehension skills.

Children get to join an adventure that follows all the different seasons to see how apples grow into the yummy snacks they know and love. This book contains lots of fascinating facts, but it’s designed specifically to help with vocabulary, interaction, and engagement. There are a few extension activities included to keep readers engaged. This author is all about producing respectful and relevant nonfiction and fiction works to appeal to and represent diverse readers. If you’re looking to get your child engaged with more reading, this is a great book to start with and it’s a great author whose other books you can explore.

Pros and Cons of Apple Trees and The Seasons by Julie K Lundgren

Best Scientific Book

Apple Trees and The Seasons

• Ideal for children between four and six years old
• Cleverly invites your child to practice early reading comprehension skills
• Customers rate this book 4.8 out of five stars

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5. Best Fictional Story: The Apple Doll by Elisa Kleven

If you’re looking for a fun fictional story for your child then we recommend The Apple Doll by Elisa Kleven.

The Apple Doll is a fun, fictional story about a girl named Lizzy. She loves going out in her yard because there is a huge apple tree that lives there. The story goes on to tell of the first day of school. She went outside to pick a gorgeous apple and she turned it into a makeshift doll. She names it Susanna. This apple doll comes along with her to school. Unfortunately, once she arrives, every teacher tells her that she’s not allowed to bring a doll to school. Even worse, her sister tells her that the doll she made is not going to last forever.

To save the day, Lizzy‘s mom shows her how to turn Susanna into a real apple doll. Susanna the doll then goes on to help Lizzie overcome her timidity and make new friends at school. Eventually, she brings those new friends over to play in her beloved apple tree. This book has really detailed, beautiful collage illustrations. It’s ultimately about one little girl’s success in blending her home world with her school world. Plus, there’s a fun activity at the end. If your child wants to make an apple doll just like Susanna, just follow the instructions!

Unfortunately, some reviewers reported that this book is quite long-winded and is difficult for children to understand in places.

Pros and Cons of The Apple Doll by Elisa Kleven

Best Fictional Story

The Apple Doll

• Full of beautiful illustrations
• Highlights the importance of friendship
• Customers rate this book 4.6 out of five stars

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6. Best Interactive Book: Curious George Apple Harvest by Margret Rey

If you’re looking for an interactive book for your child to enjoy then we suggest Curious George Apple Harvest by Margret Rey.

As an adult, you probably remember having a few Curious George books yourself. This apple harvest book is aimed at children aged four to seven and is available on Kindle, library binding, and paperback formats. In the book, George helps the Renkinses with apple harvesting. As he’s going about his duties, he discovers a huge cider press inside the barn. Of course, his curiosity is much too powerful and when fiddling around, he accidentally starts the machine. All of a sudden, all of the apples they had been collecting are washed, chopped, and squished into liquid. The looming question is will George be able to collect the cider and stop the machine or is it only going to get worse from there?

Pros and Cons of Curious George Apple Harvest by Margret Rey

Best Interactive Book

Curious George Apple Harvest

• A classic children's book
• Young readers are sure to enjoy it
• Customers rate this book 4.8 out of five stars

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Choosing the Best: What to Look For

One of the most important factors to consider when purchasing a children’s book about apples is the reading level of the book. There are some books perfect for babies and toddlers and then there are those a little bit more complex with extra vocabulary words for older children. If you don’t purchase the appropriate reading level for your child, that book is likely to just sit on a shelf. While the books we highlight above are beautiful with tons of gorgeous illustrations and they would make great adornments, that’s not really the point of purchasing these books. They’re meant to be read and enjoyed!

Once you have the appropriate reading level, decide what type of book you’re interested in purchasing. There are fictional stories that make apples the focus but that incorporate other themes like friendship and counting. There are stories that incorporate apples as characters and that teach children about how important it is to stand up for yourself. Then there are those that cleverly rhyme throughout and have a sing-song quality. These are best enjoyed by younger children who like following along with the pictures.

Some books incorporate activities. One book that we highlight in this list has some simple recipes that you can try with your child to incorporate more apples into your lives. Some books are meant to be interactive while others are just meant to be enjoyed as a bedtime story. Some books lean more toward the scientific side and break down real-life photographs of apples. They may also include reading tips so your child can improve reading comprehension. There are so many layers to how authors write their books so be sure to consider which type of book may be most beneficial for your little one.