Leaf Man

Ehlert, Lois. 2005. LEAF MAN. San Diego: Harcourt. ISBN 0152053042 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

REVIEW
Imagine standing on a street corner thinking about the natural beauty in the world when suddenly you turn around and see a figure among the leaves. Who could it be? As you approach the leaves which form a magnificent array of colors, you notice that the leaves have actually begun to take the form of a little man. Now, this is no ordinary man. It has the face of a maple leaf, eyes of two acorns, nose made from sweet gum fruit, and a body comprised of an assortment of leaves such as catalpa, ginkgo, ash, beech, and linden. Buckle up and enjoy the ride as “leaf man” journeys along the wind to unknown destinations.

Readers will be captivated by the bold colors and hints of fantasy as the scalloped edgings of the book define various action sequences amongst a nearly three-dimensional landscape. They will also enjoy the sense of movement as the leaf man flies to different places and changes shape into a variety of animals, birds, and fish.

With the very simple text, young readers will respond by repeating the phrase, “A Leaf Man’s got to go where the wind blows.” If you are interested in flights of the imagination, follow along as the wind carries “leaf man” to a city or town near you.

CONNECTIONS
Children could discuss and create a list of different leaves that they see in the environment. They can use real leaves to create individual leaf men. Also, children could play a game of I Spy, by locating creatures that are hidden throughout the book.

RELATED BOOKS
Other books about leaves that travel:
Hall, Zoe. FALL LEAVES FALL! ISBN 0439321735
Mannis, Celeste Davidson. ONE LEAF RIDES THE WIND: COUNTING IN A JAPANESE GARDEN. ISBN 0142401951

Other book by Ehlert that could be compared to this one:
RED LEAF, YELLOW LEAF ISBN 0152661972

By Aundrea L. Wright