Leaves

by David Ezra Stein

It's a young bear's first autumn, and the falling leaves surprise him. He tries to put them back on the trees, but it doesn't work. Eventually, he gets sleepy, and burrows into the fallen leaves for a long nap. When he wakes up, it's spring and there are suddenly brand-new leaves all around, welcoming him. Graceful illustrations and a childlike main character offer the perfect way to talk to children about the wonder of the changing seasons.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Animals, Nature, Fiction, School

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 16, 2007

About the author

David Ezra Stein is an author-illustrator whose previous books include LEAVES, winner of an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award. He lives in Kew Gardens, New York.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bear experiences his first autumn and winter in this lovely picture-book examination of the changing of the seasons from author/illustrator David Ezra Stein. Concerned when the leaves begin to fall, our ursine hero at first attempts to replace them on the trees, but when he eventually gets sleepy he uses them to line a cave in which to hibernate. When he awakens again in the spring, he discovers new leaves budding, and joyfully welcomes them to the world...

Pairing a simple text of no more than a few words per page with bright, autumnal illustrations, Leaves offers a sometimes humorous, sometimes sweet look at a young bear's first experience with the changing seasons. Young children will no doubt be able to identify with the bear's confusion and concern, when faced with this change, and will find his joyful realization that the leaves will grow again in spring quite reassuring. As an autumn lover I preferred the scenes set in that season, from a visual perspective, although the artwork was appealing throughout. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for seasonal titles for younger children, perhaps ages two through five?

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely book about a young bear concerned about the wellbeing of falling autumn leaves. I liked the beginning more than the middle, the middle more than the end, and (because of the bear’s expression) the cover might be my favorite part of the book. There are some humorous touches including showing how the bear manages to put the leaves back on the tree. The ending was a bit weak I thought but I’d recommend it for all young children who don’t need rhyme and a lot of action to enjoy a book.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jennifer points out this could be interpreted more deeply as a metaphor for change and loss, because this bear cub must be an orphan otherwise it would still be with its mother. Without that interpretation, it doesn't do much for me... just more trite and superficial, not resonant or wise.

Reread Aug. 2020. Well, actually, it's not metaphorically about change and loss, but literally about same. And, yeah, I dunno where mum is, either. Still doesn't impress me. :shrug:

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when leaves fall? Can you stick them back? Also so so sleepy. A cute book!


Fall has just started and I thought what would be more fun than to read a Fall book! I was looking around to see what was available and stumbled upon this book. About a bear’s very first Fall (but also about winter and spring).

We see the leaves changes and we know that it is time for Fall. Time to prepare for winter. But we see that bear doesn’t understand that yet. It is all new to him. He is having the greatest time at first. Just frolicking around and dancing and being the beariest bear. But then things change. He is wondering why the leaves fell and I just wanted to step in and tell him that it is fine! That this is how it goes. Because we see that he is worried and, I am sorry it was hilarious, see him stick the leaves right back on the trees. I can see kids do the same thing if they don’t get it.

And then the cold settles in and while I think the bear is still confused about why things are happening but for now he is sleepy and tired and fluffy and he needs a good bundle for the warmth. I just loved seeing him pick up all the leaves and just yeet them in a hole for a good winter sleep. I love how he just stopped worrying and started fluffing up for winter.

The next pages we don’t see the bear and I missed him. I knew he was sleeping and I hoped he was dreaming some lovely dreams. Then spring happens and I was just giggling and laughing at how happy he was at being back, but not just that, also see his friends back. It was just the cutest. I do hope that next fall won’t be so worrying for him!

All in all, a fun book about Fall, leaves, hibernation, and a sweet bear who has much to learn. The illustrations were so fun, I love the style and they remind me a bit of Quentin Blake’s art.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, everybody! Our book today is Leaves by David Ezra Stein, a sweet and simple read about a bear’s first autumn.

Bear has enjoyed his first year, having spent it exploring his lovely forest. But as the weather turns colder, Bear is very surprised to see the leaves change colors, then begin falling off the tree. First one, then another, then lots and lots, falling into colorful piles on the ground. Bear tries to reattach the leaves, but it’s not the same. Finally, Bear finds that he has grown very tired, and takes some of the fallen leaves to a den in the ground, falling into a deep sleep as snow coats the ground. And when he wakes up again in spring, he is glad to find that the trees are looking much better, and are even beginning to sprout brand new leaves.

This was a very nice and pretty straightforward autumn story, complete with woodland animals, falling leaves, and learning about the change of seasons. It hit a lot of positives for us: it was very sweet, had fun, playful illustrations and a charming main character, and a perfect length for little readers. It’s a perfectly fine book, but to be honest, nothing about it blew us away. Truth be told, JJ seemed a bit bored with this one, and it didn’t really make a lasting impression on me. It’s a fine fall book; covers the basics, but ultimately feels a bit formulaic (it didn’t help that the plot was strikingly similar to Fletcher And The Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson, which featured many of the same beats but with a breathtakingly gorgeous final page). But ultimately, it’s still a very enjoyable book about falling leaves and the changing seasons, and we liked it fine. Baby Bookworm approved!

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Jennifer (JenIsNotaBookSnob) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reread this with my daughter recently and decided to adjust my rating on this picture book. At first glance this is a really simple picture book without too much going on. However, if you take a second look, you can see that there's a bit more to this if you're willing to linger over the illustrations.

The issue I took with this book the first time around was that the bear is alone in his first year. Usually, a bear cub will hibernate with his mother. In the case of black bears, they are born around January and hibernate, stay with mom all through the growing season and then hibernate one more time with mom before breaking off on their own during the following June or so. Immediately then, this book grated me the wrong way because I was perplexed as to why this bear would be on his own at this point. A bear cub will usually experience autumn with a mother bear already familiar with the season.

Now, I don't know if David Ezra Stein intended this for his story, but orphaned bears will hibernate alone if their mother lived long enough for them to get big enough. For black bears, that's 30 lbs. I'm guessing then that this bear cub is meant to be an orphaned bear who has to experience his first autumn alone. That adds a layer to the story that wasn't evident at first glance. That makes this story about not just changing seasons, but, learning to cope with other changes as well. The bear is initially resistant to these changes, trying to put the leaves back on the trees, but, eventually does the right thing and builds a den. He is welcomed in the spring by the return of the leaves.

I don't know if it's necessary to point out the missing mother bear in the story to small children, but, it made this brief picture book more meaningful for me.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute illustrations and a sweet story of the changing seasons and one bear's concern for falling leaves. Very simple, but still enjoyable. I think Fletcher and the Falling Leaves is a similar theme (without the entire cycle of the seasons) and a superior book, though.

[Jonny Parshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I asked my son (6 years old) what he thought of the book, on a scale of 1-5 stars, he said, "100 stars."

I believe all these nay-sayers who exclaim the book "too cheesy" or "too sappy" are simply "too old." It is a beautiful book, and my son and I know it.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet little story of Bear’s first year and his observation of the seasons. He sees leaves fall, uses them to insulate his hibernation cave, and watches new leaves sprout in the spring. It’s quite adorable, although pretty brief.

[Agnė · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Ezra Stein's sketchy, loosely colored illustrations seem effortless and expressive (and I LOVE the colors):



But the story is a little bit choppy and kinda cheesy, especially the ending.

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delightful look at a bear and his friends, the leaves.

[Library To-Go]

11/13/24 PediaTrust story time - PWP

[Jessie Bear · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young bear experiences the changing of seasons for the first time in this heartwarming book. The bear wonders at the falling of the first leaf, and awakens after hibernation delighted to find the first buds of spring. The format and syntax of the story is simple enough to use as a transition from board books to regular picture books. Large type face and sparse text place an emphasis on the soft and inviting illustrations. These endearing pictures are simple and accessible, perfect for a young audience but also pleasing to an older reader. While some of the illustrations simply feature the leaves and the bear, others give readers a simple depiction of a season, such as the last illustration which shows the bear, a few new spring leaves, and the last remnants of winter snow. As the young bear experiences and learns about seasons, so too can a child either by simply hearing the story or by further parent-child discussion. A friendly introduction to the passage of time, I strongly recommend this book. Ages 2-4. (Four and a half stars)

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This board book has quickly become a favorite in the house, and by "house" I mean, in my toddler son's mind. The story is simple--a bear catches falling leaves, hibernates, and wakes in Spring. There are a couple of rhymes, which pushes the short story along nicely. Do the leaves in Spring really 'welcome' the bear? Yes, according to the story, which in my mind makes the story a little too sugary. Even toddlers can stand a better sugar/acid balance.

Sugar/Acid Balance (Will You Go Crazy if You Have to Read this More than 10 Times?

You will probably not go crazy/become homicidal. It's a nice, compact little story, even if there's a little too much Me-Generation at the end.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short text suitable for youngest children -- bear is disturbed when the leaves fall off the trees, even tries to put them back. But sleep overcomes him (so not too worried), and all is well when he wakes in the spring.
Used in Rhyme Time, 10/18 & 10/19, 2011.

[Bailey Kimball · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because it is about a cute, curious bear that is learning how the world works during his first year and is immensely intrigued by the leaves. I thought it was cute how he was trying to put the leaves back on the tree after they fell of. I think that this is perfectly appropriate for the intended age group because it teaches two things to young children: they can learn more about bears and the different seasons. Young children can learn that bears hibernate during the winter months in an isolated place, and they, also, learn how the different seasons work in a different perspective than just being told the basics about every season. I think that the style in the illustrations is cartoon because they are unrealistic and look as they belong in a cartoon show/movie. The bear's feet are larger than anything else on its body, the leaves do not resemble real leaves, the hill and the island do not look like realistic islands and hills, the trees look like they are in cartoons, and the fox looks like a cartoon fox, as well. I think that the medium used in the book is watercolor paint because they are very dull and transparent. The bear is a light grey with a blue tint and darker on some spots, but the lighter spots of the bear are transparent. Watercolor, also, has a tendency to look as though there are water spots and some of the features of the book appear to have the watery spot on them. I enjoyed the illustrations because I thought they were cute and complimented the book very well. While using this with children, I would have them read it and do an activity where they write a mini picture book about their favorite season and why it is their favorite season. I like the cover of the book because I think it displays the curiosity of the bear. I, also, like the back of the cover because of the phrase on it and he does look as though he is enjoying the season.

[Kaylee]

Leaves the book is about a little black bear that discovers the joy of the seasons. At the beginning of the book the little black bear see's leaves changing colors to red, yellow, and orange. The little bear also watches while the leaves fall from the trees, in pure wonder and a little confusion the little black bear tries to put the leaves back on the trees. The little black bear realizes it is not the same as he tries to put the leaves back on the trees, so the little bear takes a break and just watches as fall comes. The little black bear starts to yawn uncontrollably and realizes he is very very tired. The bear then discovers a cave/hole in the side of a hill. He fills the cave with leaves and takes a nice long nap. While the little black bear is sleeping fall passes by and winter comes and goes. After the harsh cold winter season the world begins to warm up with a beautiful spring, and the little black bear wakes up and comes out from his cave and welcomes the new little buds and leaves on the trees. There is only one main character within this book, which is the little black bear discovering the seasons. There are not other characters in the book that is addressed in the text/story but there are different animals seen in the illustrations of the book as it goes through different seasons. For example in the winter season there is a fox and a bunny seen in the picture, and in the spring there are birds seen in the illustration. I really like this book because it is very simple but still very engaging for younger readers, and it also teaches a lesson about new seasons and how bears go into hibernation. I think that this book in particular could be used within a classroom for many lessons. For example you could read this out loud to a classroom of younger students and have them draw out their favorite season and why. Thus learning different seasons, or you could take the lesson in a different direction if you were learning about animals.

[Jessika Hoover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I don't read them very often, I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoy a good picture book now and then. I feel like I am very much a child at heart, and sometimes, I really, truly wish I could return to the days of simple childhood. 

Anyway. 

This book. 

I thought this way a very sweet and simple story, accompanied by vibrant illustrations, that tells of a little bear learning about and coming to terms with the changing of seasons. Admittedly, I don't think this was the most memorable picture book I've ever read, but I still found it enjoyable. With just a touch of silliness, I loved the sense of wonder the little bear had for the world around him. On another note, while the illustrations had to grow on me, I appreciated their simplicity which would naturally appeal to children, and I LOVED the color palette. Each season was perfectly depicted. 

Overall, while this may not have been my favorite picture book ever, I still think it was lovely and that it would be a worthy addition to any young child's library. 

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a cute story of an animal who has never experienced each season before experiencing fall. I love when my kids experience the wonder of nature through the seasons but never thought about an animal trying to figure out why the leaves are falling from the trees. It's such a cute concept that this author has done very well on writing. The illustrations in this book are adorable and really show the wonderment of the bear. Though there is not a lot of detail but it's colorful and keeps the attention of kids. I loved reading this book aloud to Cassie. We also used a non-fiction book along side it to explain a little more about autumn. But this book is perfect to talk about what happens to the leaves in the fall. I recommend checking this book out.

[Kaylin Matejek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This young bear is experiencing his first autumn and grows concerned when he sees all the leaves falling off the trees. He tries to put them back on the tree, but he finds that it isn't quite the same. The bear provides insight into a sweet realization of the changing seasons. David Ezra Stein has written and illustrated a cute book filled with good information for young children about the seasons and bears. In my opinion this book is best suited for children up to age 4 or possibly a kindergarten classroom.

[Megan Conroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an adorably simple book about the curiosity of leaves from a young bear experiencing his first fall. This is a very good book for those just learning to read and may rely on illustrations more than when they get older. The illustrations presented in this book are beautiful and simple with enough emotion and detail to help the young reader understand the story better. One of my favorite illustrations is directly on the front of the book as it shows the curiosity from this adorable young bear.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bear experiences his first fall and winter.

This picture book shows the changing of the seasons through the changing of the leaves as observed by a young bear. Autumn arrives, and Bear is saddened as the leaves begin to fall. He even tries to put them back on the trees. Then as winter sets in, he feels sleepy and hibernates. When he emerges from his den in the spring, Bear is happy to discover new leaves on the trees.

This book introduces the season autumn and hibernation. It also touches upon change and loss.

The illustrations are a beautiful soft watercolor.

[Adrienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

LEAVES
----------------------
This is a cute story.

Kids and little ones, as this one-year-old bear is described to be, often misattribute human-like characteristics to inanimate objects. So, the story mostly makes sense in context.

However, the last page, which states that the bear thinks the leaves "welcome" him, is just bizarre. Or saccharine. Or confusing to small children. Take your pick.

[Jasmine Stocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leaves is a very cute book about a young bear that has never seen leaves fall off a tree before. He's confused at first and then realizes he's getting sleepy and decides to take a nap. Then, he wakes up again in spring when the new leaves are growing on the trees. The perfect book to aid in teaching a lesson about seasons or bears/aminals that hibernate. Would be great to read around fall time so students understand why the leaves are falling and can connect that to real life.

[Leann Short · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary

It's young bear's first autumn and he wants to fix the tree that has leaves fallen off. He falls asleep and when he wakes it's Spring and there are all new things to explore.

Evulation

This is a simple book for younger students. It uses lots of illustrations to describe the story line.

Teaching Idea

This book is great for teaching about Seasons, Fall the leaves change. What else can happen in the Fall? What about in the Spring? Are these two seasons different? How?

[Spencer Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book because it is a great way to introduce fall and changing of seasons. I even used this in the LabK for my read aloud to the entire class. The students loved it and especially liked the illustrations throughout the story. There isn’t a lot of words in this story and is mostly based off of looking at pictures and predicting what’s happening or going to happen. This book is contemporary realistic and is in the K-1st grade range

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really like this book, mostly because the image of the bear trying to stick the leaves back on the tree is heartwarming to me, and I also like the image of the leaves welcoming the bear back in the spring. However, the book is very short so perhaps not really appealing to older kids (although I'm not sure about that, some might really love it), and the things I really liked about it don't really resonate with younger kids.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple and sweet story about a bear who gets scared when the leaves fall because they are his friends. Reassuringly, after a quick nap (winter) he wakes up to find them restored.

Clear parallels to toddlers who have misplaced something, because they should just go to bed and maybe get lucky in the morning. But the gentle pictures do not tend towards this symbolic meaning; sometimes a cosy bear is just a bear.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covered Betsy's Toddler Time. She picked a fall theme with this as the second and last book. Adorable pictures. Caught some of the older kids' attention. But the crowd was huge (almost 90!) and I think I lost a lot of them in spite of the longer prop song right before. Toddler inattention feeds off others, so. Yeah. Oh well.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet story, accompanied by darling illustrations, about a bear experiencing his first fall. He is puzzled by the leaves falling from the trees and tries to re-attach them. His concern for the leaves is visible on his face.
Sparse text. Perfect for baby and toddler storytimes.

One of my absolutely favorite books.