"Crow saw it first. The strange white creature, carried upon the dark waves towards the shore." This intriguing beginning depicts a star-studded night sky, a swirling ocean, and a discouraged polar bear afloat upon a small melting ice floe. The wildlife of the woods had never seen anything like it. "Is it a monster?" asks the beaver. "A ghost?" asks the seagull. The mysterious creature eats lots of colorful leaves so, wanting a better name, they call him "Leaf." All are afraid to talk to the stranger. The crows cry out that he is lost, sad, and beautiful. But the other animals think he is dangerous, destructive, and huge. Poor Leaf keeps diving into the sea, seeking to swim back to the icy north. Endpapers show a happy bear padding along in the snow and ice. Intricately detailed illustrations of plants and animals showcase Dieckmann's ability to portray nature and wildlife in richly hued images. Each spread provides an environment awash in enigmatic details to enjoy and ponder.

Dieckmann blends environmental peril with fable-like language and dashes of magic in her children-s book debut. -Crow saw it first,- she begins. -The strange white creature, carried upon the dark waves towards the shore.- Most readers will recognize the animal as a polar bear, but the crows, foxes, moose, and other forest animals have never seen anything like it. After the bear starts gathering leaves, they name him Leaf; already terrified of the creature, the animals are even more startled to see Leaf charge through the forest, covered in -hundred of beautiful leaves,- and leap off a cliff. Eventually, they learn that this is an attempt to fly and return to his family. Dieckmann-s mixed-media illustrations are dense with detail, her animals drawn with careful attention to their feathery wings, bright eyes, and furry bodies. The surrounding plants and flowers look comparatively whimsical, more aligned with the tale-s magical elements-and an ending that sees the polar bear carried home by crows. Beyond the environmental angle, Dieckmann-s story movingly shows a community coming together to help a stranger in need. Ages 3-5. (Oct.)

K-Gr 2 After drifting to a faraway forest on an ice floe, a polar bear attempts to fly back home in this debut picture book from British illustrator Dieckmann. The other forest animal residents fear the bear, whom they call Leaf, too much to speak to him. After Leaf's second unsuccessful attempt to make wings from gathered leaves, the animals learn that the bear wants only to get back to his family. Confusingly, the book ends with all the animalsnow sympathetic to the bear's plightagreeing to help Leaf fly home and to spread his story in order that "no polar bear would ever get lost again." There seems to be a muddled message here about both climate change and xenophobia. Luckily, the fanciful illustrations glow on the page and nearly make up for the slight story. The animals are delicately and convincingly rendered, though Leaf is shown with unrealistic blue eyes. The more abstracted, lushly patterned backgrounds are reminiscent of folk art. VERDICT One-on-one sharing will be its best use so that young readers can pore over the intricate images. An additional purchase. Sarah Stone, San Francisco Public Library