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From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

The changing color of autumn leaves is certainly one of the most flamboyant hallmarks of the new season. Linoleum-cut illustrations show two children and a dog playing among the falling leaves, as the poetic text describes the characteristics of eight types of trees. “Red maple’s broad and pointed leaves / flame bright and vivid as a match. / The sugar maple’s leaves are orange, / like pumpkins in a pumpkin patch.” A concluding page outlines the scientific process behind leaf-color change, but it is the bold illustrations and lyrical words throughout the rest of this picture book that truly celebrate the season. (Ages 4–8)

CCBC Choices 2005 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2005. Used with permission.

From Horn Book

January 1, 2005
Leaves are falling everywhere in this autumn offering richly illustrated with linoleum block prints. A rhyming text identifies leaves from trees including maples, oaks, and willows, as two children and a dog frolic among the red, yellow, and brown shapes around them. This is a simple look at the beautiful designs found in nature. An afterword provides additional leaf facts.

(Copyright 2005 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Booklist

September 1, 2004
PreS-Gr. 1. Colorful linoleum block prints of autumn leaves flutter across the pages of this attractive picture-book introduction to eight common leaf varieties. Gerber's poetic text describes colors, shapes, and characteristics with an abundance of similes and metaphors. The red maple's leaf is said to be "flame bright and vivid as a match"; the birch leaf is "oval as an egg"; and the ginkgo's yellow leaf is shaped "just like a little fan." Evans' vibrant hand-colored linoleum prints feature scenes of a brother and sister with the family dog enjoying traditional fall activities, such as raking a big pile of leaves and jumping in. They also provide helpful visual aid for youngsters who might want to try some leaf identification of their own. An ending page describes the process by which leaves change from green to their brilliant fall colors, adding to the book's value as a science resource.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)

From School Library Journal

August 1, 2004
K-Gr 2-The crisp excitement that fall brings sparkles on each page of this book. Image-packed poetry and watercolor and linoleum-block prints introduce the various trees as they are observed by a boy and girl and their dog. Not only are the children shown as active participants in autumn's fun, raking and jumping in the fallen foliage, but the leaves themselves "-flutter through the air, drifting downward gracefully." The vividly colored illustrations provide interesting perspectives as readers view the children and their dog at ground level, from high among the tree branches, at eye level with the children, and at shoe level. Even with the simple vocabulary, Gerber's words and images convey all the texture, shape, and color of various types of leaves. The last page has an explanation of why they fall, and this text is surrounded by identified pictures of the leaves discussed in the main body of the book. A great introduction to the season either for group or individual reading.-Lynda Ritterman, Atco Elementary School, Waterford, NJ

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.