Leaf

by Sandra Dieckmann

Overview

When a polar bear arrives unexpectedly in the woods, the animals fear and avoid him, suspecting him to be dangerous - and his habit of collecting leaves only adds to their distrust. Then one day, they watch as he attempts to fly over the water with wings made of colorful leaves...just trying to go home.

Maybe he needs some help?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781911171317
Publisher:	Nobrow Ltd.
Publication date:	10/03/2017
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Sandra Dieckmann is an artist, illustrator and potter from the UK. She is best known for her colorful, patterned and intricate drawings of nature and wildlife. In 2011 Sandra was chosen by Oscar-winning animator & illustrator Shaun Tan as the Emerging Talent in Illustration for her image 'Fox Tree'.

Editorial Reviews

08/21/2017
Dieckmann blends environmental peril with fable-like language and dashes of magic in her children’s book debut. “Crow saw it first,” she begins. “The strange white creature, carried upon the dark waves towards the shore.” Most readers will recognize the animal as a polar bear, but the crows, foxes, moose, and other forest animals have never seen anything like it. After the bear starts gathering leaves, they name him Leaf; already terrified of the creature, the animals are even more startled to see Leaf charge through the forest, covered in “hundred of beautiful leaves,” and leap off a cliff. Eventually, they learn that this is an attempt to fly and return to his family. Dieckmann’s mixed-media illustrations are dense with detail, her animals drawn with careful attention to their feathery wings, bright eyes, and furry bodies. The surrounding plants and flowers look comparatively whimsical, more aligned with the tale’s magical elements—and an ending that sees the polar bear carried home by crows. Beyond the environmental angle, Dieckmann’s story movingly shows a community coming together to help a stranger in need. Ages 3–5. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"A timely story, one that yields multiple interpretations and meanings, from the "othering" of unfamiliar populations and those seeking refuge from a changing world to the impacts of climate change.Dieckmann beautifully weaves together some of today’s most difficult themes into a deceptively simple tale."
—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

"A beautiful debut from Flying Eye [...] the intricate images, filled with polychromatic leaf-patterns and dynamic stillness, are too good to miss."
—The Guardian

“A beautifully illustrated story with several great discussion points: loneliness, misunderstanding and fear, bullying, global warming, and environmental protection.”
—Little Cub Literacy    

“I love the subtle important lessons expressed in this book such as xenophobia and climate change, issues I as a parent want my children to care about… Leaf is a treat in any collection and one I'm glad to have in our home.”
—Kids Lit is Lit 

“a great starting point to talk to the little ones about the effects of global warming.”
—Meseterkep 

From the Publisher

12/01/2017
K-Gr 2—After drifting to a faraway forest on an ice floe, a polar bear attempts to fly back home in this debut picture book from British illustrator Dieckmann. The other forest animal residents fear the bear, whom they call Leaf, too much to speak to him. After Leaf's second unsuccessful attempt to make wings from gathered leaves, the animals learn that the bear wants only to get back to his family. Confusingly, the book ends with all the animals—now sympathetic to the bear's plight—agreeing to help Leaf fly home and to spread his story in order that "no polar bear would ever get lost again." There seems to be a muddled message here about both climate change and xenophobia. Luckily, the fanciful illustrations glow on the page and nearly make up for the slight story. The animals are delicately and convincingly rendered, though Leaf is shown with unrealistic blue eyes. The more abstracted, lushly patterned backgrounds are reminiscent of folk art. VERDICT One-on-one sharing will be its best use so that young readers can pore over the intricate images. An additional purchase.—Sarah Stone, San Francisco Public Library

School Library Journal

★ 2017-09-18
A lost polar bear strikes fear into the woodland animals until his extraordinary efforts to return home bring help, hope, and understanding. A lone figure, balanced on a miniscule shard of ice, floats toward land under a moonlit sky. It covers itself in leaves and finds shelter in an old, abandoned cave, while the native animals watch and discuss, scared of the unknown. Every day they gossip, naming him Leaf, but none talk to the mysterious creature until Leaf attempts to fly home. The crows rescue him, and the animals promise to tell Leaf's story, so no polar bear will "ever get lost again." The illustrations, done in pencil, pen, wash, and paint with collage, are infused with a European folk-art aesthetic. Dieckmann plays with scale and proportion for dramatic and psychological effect. Grand spreads contrasting the mountains and sea offer a wide, dreamlike sensibility, whereas the portrait of Leaf in his cave brings forth the bear's emotional isolation. Skilled linework provides depth and detailed information; and the artist's appealing patterning acts almost like hieroglyphs, with the green plants and vibrant flowers indicating a foreign world to the bear, compared to the blue environment of his home. A timely story, one that yields multiple interpretations and meanings, from the "othering" of unfamiliar populations and those seeking refuge from a changing world to the impacts of climate change.Dieckmann beautifully weaves together some of today's most difficult themes into a deceptively simple tale. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews