Leif and the Fall

July 15, 2020
A leaf fearful of falling experiments with safety ideas. Leif, an oak leaf, knows leaves fall in the fall, as the other leaves tell him over and over. But still, he is afraid he'll be hurt when it happens. An understanding laurel leaf friend that seems also to be growing on Leif's tree commiserates, and the two of them try out ideas to make the fall easier or even prevent it altogether. They make a net with twigs and a kite out of moss, among other ideas, but nothing works, and Leif tosses each attempt away, "feel[ing] as if he has failed." He hasn't of course, as the ending-with-a-twist reveals. The narrative is written in present tense--a clever choice to underscore the immediacy of Leif's anxiety--and is crisp and taut, moving the plot along just enough to build a satisfying bit of tension. The illustrations, which leave plenty of white space to accentuate the idea of the space Leif will be falling through, are done in a palette of soft greens and browns and use basic leaf shapes with simple facial expressions drawn on them. In a few of the illustrations, an image of real moss is photo-collaged in, and not to advantage, since the too-realistic look of the sharp moss photo clashes with the soft simplicity of the rest. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at 23% of actual size.) A polished, clever take on the falling-leaf narrative. (Picture book. 3-8)

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August 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 1-Lief is an oak leaf and he has a big problem; he is scared of falling when autumn comes-what if he skins his knee or bumps his head? The other leaves cannot believe such foolishness and keep admonishing him that "All leaves fall in the fall." Luckily, his friend Laurel is of a kinder disposition and tries to help him come up with clever ways of avoiding the impending disaster. At first they build a net with twigs, but the holes are too big so they toss it to the ground. They build a kite out of bark and moss so Lief can gently descend to the grass-alas, everything gets tangled and the kite ends up on the ground below. Every attempt they make is thwarted and a pile of discarded experiments grow beneath them. Then that fateful day arrives when a strong and cold wind blows Lief right off of that branch; but instead of skinning his knee or bumping his head, he lands pleasantly on his pile of rejected creations. VERDICT A clever and triumphant tale by the Grants (The Gift Inside the Box) showcasing how even discarded ideas can build a foundation for great things. Kids will love examining the mixed media and digital collage creations of Liddiard.-Amy Nolan, St. Joseph P.L., MI

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2020
Preschool-G Fall's arrived, and Leif, a small green leaf with browning edges, knows this means soon falling from his oak-tree branch home. But Leif fears he'll hurt himself, so his friend Laurel, who's dropped in from another tree, suggests maybe they can make something to help. But their endeavors?a net of twigs, a vine strapped to the branch, a moss-and-bark kite, a spider-web parachute?bring more snafus than solutions, and optimism dwindles. Eventually, with a blustery gust, Leif's dreaded moment comes. However, what they considered unsuccessful attempts have collected below, unexpectedly creating a soft place to touch down safely below, and after which the pals cheerfully set off together. Liddiard's mixed-media illustrations, in appropriately autumnal hues, depict the expressive, anthropomorphized leaf characters, along with other creatures, such as inchworms and ladybugs, among the droll background details. While abundant repetition?particularly the refrain All leaves fall in the fall! by snarky fellow oak leaves?can distract, this highlights the rewards of supportive friendship and the worthy notion that even failures may have value.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)