Title: Leaves
Author: David Ezra Stein
Illustrator: David Ezra Stein
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Year of Publication: 2007
Genre: Fiction
Horn Book or Kirkus Reviews: Horn Book- 3, Kirkus Starred Review
Summary: Leaves is a story about a young bear that experiences the changing of the seasons. He is unsure what to do when the leaves begin to fall, so he decides to hibernate and wait for spring.
Summary of Professional Reviews: Kirkus Reviews states the obvious plot of the seasons changing. However, Kirkus also explains the emotions the bear went through during the seasons in this excerpt from the review: "His exuberance and wonder change to worry and and consternation." When spring arrives, he is then filled with joy that the leaves are back.
Review By Lauren Miller: I found the book to have two layers of meaning. The text itself explained the changes of the seasons. However, while reading, I interpreted an underlying meaning about how the bear was feeling during this time. The illustrations helped me make this connection. Although the illustrations were very simple and bland in color, the bear's facial expression helped tell the story. For example, there is a page where the bear is depicted as slumped over with his eyes to the ground, leaning against a bare tree. I could feel the bear's depression with the loss of the leaves and the change of the new season.
This book would be useful when teaching:
Author: David Ezra Stein
Illustrator: David Ezra Stein
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Year of Publication: 2007
Genre: Fiction
Horn Book or Kirkus Reviews: Horn Book- 3, Kirkus Starred Review
Summary: Leaves is a story about a young bear that experiences the changing of the seasons. He is unsure what to do when the leaves begin to fall, so he decides to hibernate and wait for spring.
Summary of Professional Reviews: Kirkus Reviews states the obvious plot of the seasons changing. However, Kirkus also explains the emotions the bear went through during the seasons in this excerpt from the review: "His exuberance and wonder change to worry and and consternation." When spring arrives, he is then filled with joy that the leaves are back.
Review By Lauren Miller: I found the book to have two layers of meaning. The text itself explained the changes of the seasons. However, while reading, I interpreted an underlying meaning about how the bear was feeling during this time. The illustrations helped me make this connection. Although the illustrations were very simple and bland in color, the bear's facial expression helped tell the story. For example, there is a page where the bear is depicted as slumped over with his eyes to the ground, leaning against a bare tree. I could feel the bear's depression with the loss of the leaves and the change of the new season.
This book would be useful when teaching:
- About the seasons. This book could be used as a read-aloud in the beginning of the year when fall begins. It could be read to the students every time a new seasons starts. It would be interesting for the students to draw a picture of their favorite season and explain why in a few sentences. This could be used as an assessment to see if the students comprehended the book and the difference of seasons.