Fall Leaves: Colorful and Crunchy

by Martha E. H. Rustad, Amanda Enright (Illustrator)

Overview

Look at all the brightly colored trees! Fall weather causes leaves to change colors. Follow a leaf as it grows, changes color, and falls to the ground. Let's grab a rake! What happens in fall? Find out in the Fall's Here! series, part of the Cloverleaf Books™ collection. These nonfiction picture books feature kid-friendly text and illustrations to make learning fun!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761385059
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/28/2011
Series:	Fall's Here! Series
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	490L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Martha E. H. Rustad is the author of nearly one hundred nonfiction children's books, on topics ranging from snowflakes to termites to Ancient Babylon. She lives with her family in Brainerd, Minnesota.

Amanda Enright is an illustrator from West Sussex in the United Kingdom. Previous projects include No More Pacifiers from Piggy Toes Press. She is the illustrator of all titles in the Fall Themes set of Cloverleaf Books.

Editorial Reviews

Have you had the experience of walking on leaves in the fall or perhaps jumping in a pile that was just too tempting to resist? In parts of the world where there are deciduous trees that lose their leaves in the fall, kids probably wonder why. The simple language in this text explains what happens. Starting with a leaf in the fall, a closer examination shows that the leaf has a web of tiny lines, which are the veins that carry water. The text then offers an explanation of photosynthesis. But more importantly Rustad takes reader on a trip through the life cycle of a leaf, beginning in winter when most trees do not grow and have shed their leaves. As the weather warms up and the days get longer, the sunshine warms the buds on the trees and leaves start to sprout. The statement about the leaf having many colors inside is not really explained, readers just have to accept the statement that this is true and that in summer one only sees the green. As fall approaches and the days get shorter, the leaves do not have enough sunshine to continue with photosynthesis so they begin to dry up and eventually fall to the ground. There they break up and provide nutrients for trees and other plants. It is a fascinating cycle. Other tidbits of information include a project and a comment that the color and shape of a fallen leaf will reveal what type of tree it came from. The illustrations are clear and make the entire process easy to understand. It may encourage kids to go and do some exploring on their own. There is a short glossary, index and up-to-date list to obtain even more information. A good selection for any library or any child's home library. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot