Leaf Man (Lois Ehlert)

 

A great story for September/October when leaves are falling from the trees. It's wonderful to imagine the travels and stories of leaves. The pages in this book are cut to reveal beautiful layered images.

I think the grade ones in our school do a project where they make pictures with leaves. I must pass this on to them!

I love the author's note in the back:

Whenever I see a beautiful leaf, I have to pick it up. I can't help myself; it's something I've done all my life. I used to press leaves in my phone book, only to find them later - dull, dry and crumbling. When researching maple leaves for the illustrations in my book Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, I made color copies of the leaves I'd collected for reference as soon as I found them so I could capture their magnificent colors before they faded. When I began thinking about making Leaf Man, I carried a plastic bag with me, picking up treasures wherever I went  - sweet gum fruit from Kansis City, oak leaves from Ithaca, fig leaves form Washington, DC - and color-copying them as soon as possible. My leaf file became chubby, but I didn't stop collecting until snow finally covered the last Wisconsin maple leaves of fall. Then I created the Leaf Man art with my color copies of leaves, which I believe are among the most beautiful art supplies in the world.

Goodreads says:

Come along on a journey with a man made of leaves in this autumnal classic by Caldecott Honor–winning author-illustrator Lois Ehlert.

Fall has come, the wind is gusting, and Leaf Man is on the move. Is he drifting east, over the marsh and ducks and geese? Or is he heading west, above the orchards, prairie meadows, and spotted cows? No one's quite sure, but this much is certain: A Leaf Man's got to go where the wind blows. Ehlert crafts each illustration out of actual fall leaves and die-cut pages on every spread that reveal gorgeous landscapes. ThIs playful and whimsical book celebrates the natural world and the rich imaginative life of children. Includes facts on how to identify leaves out in the wild!