Happy Autumn! With fall right around the corner, Dr. Toughlove felt compelled to review The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming and illustrated by Nicola Slater. Enjoy!
Happy Autumn! Since Fall is quickly approaching, Dr. Toughlove thought it was an ideal time to review a charming tale entitled “The Leaf Thief” written by Alice Hemming and illustrated by Nicola Slater. This delightful book is part of the Squirrel and Bird Book Series, written for children aged 2-5 years.
The book begins with the squirrel, who is a talkative and animated sort, describing the virtues of autumn. “What a wonderful time of year! I am snug in my nest with a belly full of hazelnuts and the sun is shining through my leaf canopy. Such lovely colors: red, gold, orange……..”(p.2). Just then, the squirrel realizes that one of his leaves is….MISSING! Using large font size and colorful illustrations, Alice Hemming and Nicola Slater follow the escapades of this excitable squirrel who wants to know who stole his leaf.
Questions are posed to the bird, who provides the squirrel with some hilarious strategies for dealing with his anxiety about his missing leaf. Dr. Toughlove doesn’t want to give the story away, but the reader and the listener will enjoy the depiction of yoga poses as a way to minimize stress. All of these antics are presented in an age-appropriate manner with colorful and engaging illustrations.
“The Leaf Thief” provides ample opportunities to theorize about who “stole” the leaf. A lively conversation can ensue about what happened to the leaf, and what happens to leaves every year during autumn.
If your child loves this book, Dr. Toughlove would suggest that you check out the other two books in the Squirrel and Bird Book Series, “That’s My Flower” and “Don’t Touch that Flower”. In addition, at the back of the book, there is additional information about falling leaves, trees that don’t shed leaves and other interesting facts about autumn. There are also additional activities on Alice Hemming’s website. Lots of opportunities for further learning exist after reading this book.
“The Leaf Thief” is a great way to introduce autumn, and is available at your local library.