Saturday, October 1, 2011

Leaves by Ezra Stein - A Little Bear’s Wonder


Pros: Absolutely adorable little story with delightful illustrations
Cons: Nothing

The Bottom Line: If you want a cute story for your little one, this is perfect for fall...or heck, anytime!

David Ezra Stein does some great children's books. His illustrations range from downright quirky to "Awww!" inducing. I discovered Leaves last autumn. I kept peeking at it anytime I was at work because the cover was just so darned cute. A bear leaning over to take a look at a leaf on the ground. Finally I got the chance to read all the way through it.

It's a small book. A board book, to be precise, so the pages are nice and thick, perfect for small hands to grasp. Mom or dad can read the book to kids, and they can learn to read as they grow. The story is a simple one. A young bear is out and about one day when he sees a leaf flutter to the ground. He asks the leaf if it's okay, but of course the leaf doesn't respond. Soon, all the leaves are falling off the trees and the baffled bear doesn't know what to do about it. Finally, winter comes and the bear goes to hibernate in his little cave. When he wakes in spring, he discovers...what? All new leaves! Yay!

This book is absolutely adorable. I think Stein uses a mix of mostly watercolors and with one or maybe two mediums to do his illustrations. But he gets the colors perfect and I love his simple style. The bear...omigosh, the bear is so cute! Stein captures the seasons wonderfully. One of my particular favorites is when the bear is snoozing away in his burrow and outside on the snow, other animals bebop around, like birds who leave tracks and squirrels who dash about. Even though the illustrations are simple overall, he does make sure to pay attention to the details.

I don't have kids, but if I did I would buy this book in a heartbeat. Yay autumn and yay colorful leaves and little bears!

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com

Notes from the playlist: "Dreams Don't Turn to Dust" by Owl City

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