Full of Fall

by April Pulley Sayre, April Pulley Sayre (Photographer)

Overview

Discover the magic—and the science—behind fall leaves with this companion to the celebrated Raindrops Roll and Best in Snow.

With gorgeous photo illustrations, award-winning author April Pulley Sayre explores the transformation trees undergo in fall. The book takes readers through the leaves’ initial change from green to red, yellow, and orange, the shedding of the leaves, and the leaves crumbling as winter approaches. Extensive back matter explains the science behind this process to the youngest of budding scientists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481479851
Publisher:	Beach Lane Books
Publication date:	08/29/2017
Series:	Weather Walks
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
Lexile:	AD290L (what's this?)
File size:	85 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

April Pulley Sayre (1966–2021) was the award-winning author of more than fifty-five natural science books for children and adults, including her award-winning photo-illustrated books Being Frog, Raindrops Roll, and Best in Snow. Sayre’s books received an abundance of starred reviews, have been dubbed ALA Notable Books (Raindrops Roll; Rah, Rah, Radishes) and won a Geisel Honor (Vulture View). Learn more at AprilSayre.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 07/17/2017
In a companion to Best in Snow and Raindrops Roll, Sayre offers a luminous look at autumn leaves, pairing spare verse with crisp photography: “Hello, yellow./ Greetings, gold./ Oh—it’s orange!/ Red, be bold.” Sayre’s full-bleed photographs include images of trees laden with vivid leaves, rippling water that transforms unseen leaves above into an abstract display, and the “Margins. Midribs./ Sunlit veins” of a single leaf shown in close-up. Later in the fall, “Trees are ready./ Twigs let go./ Leaves slip and spin./ Wind sweeps— leaves blow!” The final stage of decomposition welcomes winter’s approach. Sayre’s visual tribute to fall foliage gently implores readers to notice the quiet beauty unfolding all around them. A closing spread provides detailed insight into the science behind trees’ exquisite autumnal show. Ages 3–8. Agent: Emily Mitchell, Wernick & Pratt. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 06/01/2017
PreS-Gr 2—The pages in this beautiful tribute to autumn virtually throb with color at every turn. A seasonal companion to Raindrops Roll and Best in Snow, this title highlights the glorious show that is performed each year by trees around the world. Simple, elegant poetry leads readers through the progression of changing leaves as the landscape prepares for winter. "Trees are ready. Twigs let go. Leaves slip and spin. Wind sweeps—leaves blow!" The crisp, full-color photographs saturate every spread, providing varying perspectives, from close-ups of individual leaves to wide shots of trees of every hue on the water's edge. Short paragraphs at the end offer information on the science behind the changing colors and the life cycle of the leaves. VERDICT While there are a multitude of books about leaves and autumn, this one is a standout for its elegance, simplicity, and gorgeous photography—perfect for sharing with the youngest learners.—Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

School Library Journal

2017-05-31
Leaves of orange, gold, and red shout from amid the last of summer's fading green canvas. Shy at first, then with a bold advance, the ripple of flaming colors races through the forest like a metachronal wave until the miserly hoarders of chlorophyll are too embarrassed to do much more than sulk. A carpet of leaves; a canopy of leaves—a crescendo of leaves. Sayre's stunning photographic images sweep across each majestic double-page spread. The rhyming text meanders from one-word identifiers—"Midribs"—to ecstatic exclamations: "So many leaves!" However, the irregular meter occasionally sputters. "Fall is ending. // Goodbye, leaf show. / Winter is coming…. // Oh, / hello, snow!" Also, whereas critters and weather figured prominently in Sayre's previous offerings, here they are very minor players and are sorely missed. There are cameo appearances by wind and sun and only four shots of fauna—two squirrels, a mallard, and a flight of geese. This absence, especially as this is the season when forest animals and insects are frenetically preparing for the cold, contributes to a sterility of tone despite the wonder of fall's audacious palette. In addition, the decision to introduce the next season is disappointing. Spring kept its nose out of Best in Snow (2016), and instead of stealing fall's thunder, winter should have done the same. Fortunately, nature's glorious riot overpowers these missteps. Young readers' imaginations are sure to be fired by Sayre's awe-inspiring photos and by the bite-sized science facts provided at the end of the book. (Informational picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews