The Little Yellow Leaf

The Little Yellow Leaf

Written and illustrated by Carin Berger

Greenwillow Books, 2008

40 pages

Picture Book-Fiction

                I chose this book because the cover caught my eye, and I thought the feel and overall look of the book was beautiful. This book is about a little yellow leaf who does not want to let go of its tree. All of the other leaves had taken the plunge, or so he thought. Fall turned into winter and snow began to fall. Then, the little yellow leaf noticed a scarlet leaf high up in the tree. They decide to make the jump together.

                The illustrations in this book were done using collages. The collages were used to prepare the full-color art. This book starts out with warm, rich fall colors. By the end of the book, winter colors prevail. The illustrations look very modern. One might be reminded of a scrapbook when looking at this book.

                This book is appropriate for preschool to third grade. There are many ways to utilize this book in an elementary classroom. This book would be perfect to use when discussing the seasons of the year, especially fall and winter. The Little Yellow Leaf could also be used in a science lesson to discuss leaves and weather. The book also teaches a lesson in character development. Students will learn that they don’t have to do things on their own. They can find a friend to help them do things that they may be scared to do alone.