I have made a list of my favourite leaf books so you and your little ones can discover, learn, and explore one of our main themes for fall. From going on a leaf hunt, searching for leaf man, and learning exactly why leaves change colors, this list has it all. One look at the stunning endpaper with the bookplate -- "This book belongs to:" and I'm impressed. Germany has such a tradition of brilliant illustrations, and I've never seen this before in a children's storybook. Seems like my eyes and mind and heart will be in good hands. The book also touches on the environmental changes going on right now; there is, after all, a polar bear appearing in a temperate climate forest. Simply lovely. While the story seems rather straightforward, there’s a lot going on here – through Leaf’s plight and the reactions of his new neighbors, readers learn lessons in empathy, consideration, helping others, and – most notably – caution against fear of otherness (even the choice of the polar bear, a species rapidly losing its habitat, is not an accident). It encourages us not to judge someone simply because they look, sound, or act differently from us, especially as they may have very good reasons, and may even need our help but don’t know how to ask. The art is simply stunning, an intricate symphony of color around the stark white polar bear, both engaging young eyes and providing a visual example of how Leaf differs from the new world he finds himself in. The length is great, and JJ loved all the animals and vibrant colors. A sweet story with some wonderful lessons, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved! Set in the wild wood, the animals who call this rugged land their home are surprised and a little wary when a new animal arrives. He is big, white, and has lots of teeth. But stranger still is his habit of collecting leaves. So they name him Leaf. But as the animals watch Leaf they finally become brave enough to ask him his story.

Yellow Time by Lauren Stringer is a beautiful book that showcases the time of year when leaves fall. It’s such a descriptive book that will fill the kids with lots of rich language and vocabulary. Look what I did with a Leaf!- Put those leaves to use and make some crafts with your kids. This book is full of ideas to get your imaginations running with ideas to make the best leaf creation. Perfect for those rainy fall days when you are cooped up indoors. 9. Leaves Unexpected plot development, character development, a moral that all humans would do well to learn from. And all of this not just beautifully illustrated but told with such delicacy. Fall is in the air and leaves are changing to bright crimson, gold, and bronze. There are so many learning possibilities to do with leaves including reading lots of fall preschool books. Here are some of our favorite leaf books for preschool. Fall Leaves by Loretta Holland is a beautiful book that contains gorgeous wordless spreads to enjoy as well as information about the season.I love how this book uses rhyme and repetition to tell about leaves through all four seasons. We like the cut paper illustrations, too. One day, the polar bear Leaf arrives at the coast of the temperate climate wilderness. The first reaction of the animals is fear and confusion, but eventually, they overcome their own fears, and they help Leaf. I really appreciate this, especially now with the refugee crisis. I think to be afraid of the unknown is a normal thing for humans, but often I see not the most helpful attitude towards this fear. We should not shun each other for that; we should approach each other with an open mind and willingness to talk and listen. If there is anyone who deserves to be condemned, it's the politicians who feed and then build their careers on this fear instead of doing something meaningful. Fallen leaves can be just as spectacular as the brightest summer flowers: earthy browns, deep reds and vibrant yellow andorange. For a more sciency spin on why leaves change colors and fall off the trees try Fall Leaves: Colorful and Crunchy by Martha E H Rustad. One day, a polar bear washes up on the edge of the wild wood. Never seen such an animal, all the other animals of the wild wood run away from him. Eventually, the animals named the polar bear Leaf, because they want him to leave.

I was looking for something comforting and light to read when I couldn't fall asleep in the middle of the night, and then I see the completely stunning cover of this picture book and was instantly enchanted... Separate bonus document containing guided reading questions, for the teacher to discuss with the class during a read aloud or whole class guided reading. When a polar bear arrives unexpectedly in the woods, the animals fear and avoid him, suspecting him to be dangerous - and his habit of collecting leaves only adds to their distrust. Then one day, they watch as he attempts to fly over the water with wings made of colorful leaves...just trying to go home. I even found this Touch and Feel Fall Board Book for babies and toddlers to enjoy! Activities with Leaves to Do With Toddlers and Preschoolers Okay, here I am again, not liking a popular Lois Ehlert book. It just didn’t strike us. The pictures were too crowded and BIG, so that it was hard to find what our eyes were supposed to find – objects made from leaves. But you may feel differently, which is why I’m including it.

Children & Baby Books of Remembrance

Mouse’s First Fallby Lauren Thompson is a fun book about a little mouse who is exploring the season of fall. This is also part of a season’s series. Step 5: Fold your scrapbook paper piece in half to create a book binding. You’ll punch two holes in it, toward the top and the bottom of the folded piece. Step 4: Here’s the fun part! Teach your kiddos how to do leaf rubbings. To start, you’ll need to take the wrappers off of a few crayons. Then, place a leaf underneath a square of white paper. Holding the leaf and the paper in place with one hand, set your crayon down flat and rub it across the area where the leaf is. Apply a bit of pressure as you rub and you’ll start to see the leaf details appearing on your paper in crayon. Littler children may need help holding the paper and the leaf in place. Keep making leaf rubbings in different colors until you’ve done every leaf!

Bear is experiencing his first autumn and is a bit perplexed that the leaves are falling off the trees. He even tries to reattach them in Leaves by David Ezra Stein. He gets so sleepy that he hibernates for the winter. When he awakes in spring, he is surprised to see new leaves on the trees. Fun Plus a Bit of Science Leaf Books I genuinely can't stop thinking of the utterly vibrant illustrations in here. Like, I tried to close my eyes after reading and all I could see were the lively colors springing up in my mind over and over. Here's a handful of examples of said occurrence: A squirrel is enjoying his beautiful leafy canopy in the tree when he discovers some of the leaves are missing. Is someone stealing squirrel’s leaves? Read The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming. What a beautiful sequence of story and visuals as the other animals are deciding whether or not to care, whether or not to help. He fails, of course, but at last the others listen to his tale of separation, misery and loneliness.Try not to let leaves overlap - when they dry, you want to see all of the intricate veins and patterns. Keep stems out of the way, as they can stain.

Why Do Leaves Change Colors? by Betsy Maestro is the most sciency one on the list. Books About Change of Seasons on Trees The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own. This consists of material that supplements the text and the index, if there is one. Generally, fiction title won’t have an index.

Curriculum

The animals who live nearby are frightened of the stranger. They call him Leaf, because of his habit of collecting plants, but nobody is brave enough to speak to him – until the bear makes a pair of leafy wings and tries to fly. Step 2: Once you have all of your leaves, bring them inside and gently wipe them down if necessary. Next, cut your plain white paper into squares, large enough to accommodate your largest leaf. You’ll need as many squares as you have leaves, plus a few extra pieces. I adore pop-up books. The craftsmanship of most of them is remarkable. But, they are pricey and little ones can easily tear them. But, I think Leaves: An Autumn Pop-Up Book by Janet Lawler is worth the risk. This one is best used as a read aloud or with adult supervised one-on-one exploring. Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson takes us through the seasons so kids will get to see new buds, full-grown leaves, leaves falling, and bare limbs. This is an interactive book making it perfect for a whole group read-aloud. You might even want to try this Tap the Magic Tree activity to accompany the book. This is a Pebble Plus book (another great series for preschoolers!). While the focus isn’t on Fall leaves, it helps children understand the importance of leaves for the health of a tree and the different types of leaves children may find. Another winner!