Leif and the Fall
Leif and the Fall
Select a format:
Publisher's Hardcover ©2020--
To purchase this item, you must first login or register for a new account.
Penguin
Annotation: It's autumn and a nervous Leif is determined to find a different way down from the tree than falling.
 
Reviews: 3
Catalog Number: #214018
Format: Publisher's Hardcover
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright Date: 2020
Edition Date: 2020 Release Date: 09/08/20
Illustrator: Liddiard, Merrilee,
Pages: 1 volume (unpaged)
ISBN: 1-9848154-9-0
ISBN 13: 978-1-9848154-9-1
Dewey: E
LCCN: 2020942623
Dimensions: 29 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
ALA Booklist (Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

Fall's arrived, and Leif, "a small green leaf with browning edges," knows this means soon falling from his oak-tree branch home. But Leif fears he'll hurt himself, so his friend Laurel, who's dropped in from another tree, suggests maybe they can make something to help. But their endeavors net of twigs, a vine strapped to the branch, a moss-and-bark kite, a spider-web parachute ing more snafus than solutions, and optimism dwindles. Eventually, with a blustery gust, Leif's dreaded moment comes. However, what they considered unsuccessful attempts have collected below, unexpectedly creating a soft place to touch down safely below, and after which the pals cheerfully set off together. Liddiard's mixed-media illustrations, in appropriately autumnal hues, depict the expressive, anthropomorphized leaf characters, along with other creatures, such as inchworms and ladybugs, among the droll background details. While abundant repetition rticularly the refrain "All leaves fall in the fall!" by snarky fellow oak leaves n distract, this highlights the rewards of supportive friendship and the worthy notion that even failures may have value.

Kirkus Reviews

A leaf fearful of falling experiments with safety ideas.Leif, an oak leaf, knows leaves fall in the fall, as the other leaves tell him over and over. But still, he is afraid he'll be hurt when it happens. An understanding laurel leaf friend that seems also to be growing on Leif's tree commiserates, and the two of them try out ideas to make the fall easier or even prevent it altogether. They make a net with twigs and a kite out of moss, among other ideas, but nothing works, and Leif tosses each attempt away, "feel[ing] as if he has failed." He hasn't of course, as the ending-with-a-twist reveals. The narrative is written in present tense-a clever choice to underscore the immediacy of Leif's anxiety-and is crisp and taut, moving the plot along just enough to build a satisfying bit of tension. The illustrations, which leave plenty of white space to accentuate the idea of the space Leif will be falling through, are done in a palette of soft greens and browns and use basic leaf shapes with simple facial expressions drawn on them. In a few of the illustrations, an image of real moss is photo-collaged in, and not to advantage, since the too-realistic look of the sharp moss photo clashes with the soft simplicity of the rest. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at 23% of actual size.)A polished, clever take on the falling-leaf narrative. (Picture book. 3-8)

School Library Journal (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

PreS-Gr 1 Lief is an oak leaf and he has a big problem; he is scared of falling when autumn comeswhat if he skins his knee or bumps his head? The other leaves cannot believe such foolishness and keep admonishing him that "All leaves fall in the fall." Luckily, his friend Laurel is of a kinder disposition and tries to help him come up with clever ways of avoiding the impending disaster. At first they build a net with twigs, but the holes are too big so they toss it to the ground. They build a kite out of bark and moss so Lief can gently descend to the grassalas, everything gets tangled and the kite ends up on the ground below. Every attempt they make is thwarted and a pile of discarded experiments grow beneath them. Then that fateful day arrives when a strong and cold wind blows Lief right off of that branch; but instead of skinning his knee or bumping his head, he lands pleasantly on his pile of rejected creations. VERDICT A clever and triumphant tale by the Grants ( The Gift Inside the Box ) showcasing how even discarded ideas can build a foundation for great things. Kids will love examining the mixed media and digital collage creations of Liddiard. Amy Nolan, St. Joseph P.L., MI

Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
ALA Booklist (Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)
Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)
Word Count: 544
Reading Level: 3.0
Interest Level: P-2
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 3.0 / points: 0.5 / quiz: 517364 / grade: Lower Grades
Lexile: AD540L
Guided Reading Level: L
Fountas & Pinnell: L

Persistence and creativity can lead to amazing things, as Leif the leaf discovers in this lovely storybook from Allison Sweet Grant and Adam Grant, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Originals.

Leif is a leaf. A worried leaf. It is autumn, and Leif is afraid to fall. "All leaves fall in the fall," say the other leaves. But Leif is determined to find a different way down, and with his friend Laurel, he uses the resources around him to create a net, a kite, a parachute in hopes of softening his landing. The clock is ticking, the wind is blowing. What will happen when a gust of wind pulls Leif from his branch?

In a culture that prizes achievement, kids are often afraid to fail--failing to realize that some of the very ideas that don't work are steps along the path to ones that will.


*Prices subject to change without notice and listed in US dollars.
Perma-Bound bindings are unconditionally guaranteed (excludes textbook rebinding).
Paperbacks are not guaranteed.
Please Note: All Digital Material Sales Final.