Fall Favorites

Fall made an appearance here in NYC about 10 days ago, but apparently only to tease me, since summer weather has been back in full force.  Until the cooler, crisper days of my favorite season return, I'll have to content myself with books about it instead.  My favorite book about fall is a recent, well-known one, but worth sharing anyway, I think: The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger.  This sweet story about a leaf afraid to fall until, together with another leaf, she is able to muster her courage and take the plunge (literally), is rendered extra special by the unique, gorgeous  illustrations.  Carin Berger uses all different types of paper for her collages - graph paper, paper with unidentified writing on it (typewritten, handwritten cursive) and others.  Her aerial view of trees, her beautiful representation of the sun and all the other art in this book combine with the simple, spare text perfectly.  My only disappointment was that her second book, Forever Friends, is done in the exact same style.  While also a lovely book, in my opinion there is no reason to own both.

My older daughter's favorite fall book was, for a long time, The Falling Leaves by Steve Metzger.  While the leaves brag about the acrobatics they are going to perform on their fall, the wind overhears them and gives them their comeuppance by tossing them into a mud puddle.  My daughter thought this was hilarious.  The only humble leaf in the bunch, however, is given a thrilling ride before landing gently in a lovely lake.

Other fall books that my children enjoy are Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson and Leaves by David Ezra Stein, both of which feature animals experiencing their first fall and who are quite concerned about the trees when they start to lose their leaves.  I prefer the latter for its quieter language and bolder art although it is worth keeping in mind that it is probably better suited to very young children while Fletcher might appeal to slightly older kids.

Finally, I'm looking forward to getting Fall Mixed Up by Bob Raczka from the library and sharing it with my younger daughter in particular.  Living up to its title it starts, "Every Septober and every Octember fall fills my senses with scenes to remember..." and the mix-ups continue from there, with squirrels migrating south and geese hibernating.  I'm expecting lots of giggles from my three-year-old. 

What is your favorite book about fall?