Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf

What first caught my attention, was the bright textured orange cover. Simple, but beautiful. The illustrations are collages of real objects, leafs, and colorful paper cut outs. The design is unique, with 2 of the pages having leaf-shaped holes on them. The story is about a kid and his/her tree and the last 4 pages have very interesting information on trees, seeds, and even how to make a bird treat. If your kids love trees and nature, this book is a must.

A child recounts the life of a maple tree selected from a nursery to grow in the family's yard. Although it's narrated by a person, the natural world or plants and animals are the primary focus. Hands involved in the various stages of planting are the only human elements included in the illustrations. Taking the tree from a tiny seed in a maple key, to a young seedling, to a leafy haven for birds, to a glorious display of autumnal reds and yellows, Ehlert uses simple cut paper and textured collage against primary backgrounds to illustrate this simple story that's rich in color and love of nature. Following the story Ehlert includes simple scientific facts and illustrated information about trees as well as detailed instructions for planting a tree and making treats for the birds. An excellent addition to a fall story time or classroom science segment. Ages 3-6.

I think that this book is a great book for children. Not only does it tell the story of how a tree comes to be, it also has detailed pictures with captions. In the back of the book there is more detailed information on how trees grow and how to make special bird treats. This is fun for the whole family and could possibly be your childs favorite.

This is the book to use when launching your fall themes. Every fall I read this book. The children listen intently and are drawn to the bright vivid colors. They love to predict and actively participate in the word patterns. There are so many lessons that you can use from this one book.

Great Book for using with science experiments about autumn leaves.