Leaf Man

In Leaf Man, Lois Ehlert creates a picture book using real fall leaves arranged into shapes and characters. The story follows the journey of a figure made from leaves as it travels wherever the wind takes it. The book features die-cut pages that layer upon each other to form landscapes and scenes from nature. Ehlert identifies the types of leaves used on each page, incorporating botany education into the visual narrative. The illustrations showcase the possibilities of found natural materials in art while exploring themes of change and the cyclical nature of seasons. This book connects children to the natural world through storytelling and observation.

Readers value the book's use of real autumn leaves to create illustrations, with many parents noting it inspires their children to collect leaves and make their own art projects. Teachers report using it successfully for fall units and nature activities. Likes: - Die-cut pages that follow leaf shapes - Detailed leaf identification information - Simple, engaging story for young children - Durability of the heavy cardstock pages Dislikes: - Some found the narrative too basic - Price point high for length - A few mention leaves can look busy/cluttered Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (2,900+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (1,100+ ratings) "The artwork makes me want to go outside and gather leaves right now," wrote one Amazon reviewer. Multiple teachers on Goodreads cite it as "perfect for teaching seasons and plant life cycles." Some parents noted their 2-3 year olds found the leaf arrangements abstract and harder to follow than traditional illustrations.

We're Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger Children follow three friends on an autumn journey through the woods gathering leaves in a story that echoes the structure of a familiar bear hunt tale.

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert The life cycle of a sugar maple tree unfolds through a combination of natural materials and paper collages.

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson A young fox discovers the changing of seasons through the transformation of his favorite tree.

The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger A single leaf clings to its branch through autumn until it finds the courage to let go and join the dance of falling leaves.

Fall Mixed Up by Bob Raczka Illustrations created from natural materials showcase autumn scenes where everything appears backwards or mixed up until readers spot what's wrong.

🍂 Author Lois Ehlert collected real leaves from various trees and plants to create the original artwork for this book, preserving them between sheets of paper. 🍁 The die-cut pages of Leaf Man create unique silhouettes that allow readers to see through to the next page, making each reading experience slightly different. 🌿 The book includes a guide to identify different types of leaves featured in the story, encouraging young readers to learn about nature and botany. 🍂 Lois Ehlert was inspired to create Leaf Man after observing fallen leaves on walks through her Wisconsin neighborhood during autumn. 🍁 The book's pages are designed to follow the pattern of wind movement, with each page getting progressively shorter from right to left, mimicking how leaves drift in the breeze.