A Leaf Can Be . . .

by Laura Purdie Salas, Violeta Dabija (Illustrator)

Overview

A leaf is a leaf, a bit of a tree. But just try to guess what else it can be!

A leaf can be a...shade spiller, mouth filler, tree topper, rain stopper. Find out about the many roles leaves play in this poetic exploration of leaves throughout the year.

Laura Purdie Salas's lyrical, rhyming text and Violeta Dabija's glowing illustrations make simple yet profound observations about seemingly ordinary objects and encourage readers to suggest "what else it can be!" Using metaphors for a leaf (tree topper / rain stopper), a rock (hopscotch marker / fire sparker), and water (thirst quencher / kid drencher), these insightful picture books creatively highlight a variety of roles and relationships in nature.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761362036
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/01/2012
Series:	Can Be . . . Books
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,105,031
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD260L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 8 Years

About the Author

Laura Purdie Salas is the author of more than 135 books for kids, including If You Were the Moon, Lion of the Sky, theCan Be… series, and Bookspeak! Poems about Books. Poetry and rhyming nonfiction books are her favorite things to write. Laura loves to do author visits, writing workshops, and teacher inservices. Read more about Laura and her work at laurasalas.com.

Violeta Dabija lives in Moldova, a small Eastern European country. She has a strong traditional art background, a BA degree in Fine Arts/Graphic Design and 10 years of experience as a children's book illustrator. She works in both traditional and digital media and often mixes them to produce delicate and atmospheric illustrations with a traditional feel. She has illustrated about 25 children's books and she enjoys creating magic pictures and unique environments for her characters.

Editorial Reviews

Salas explores the many functions a leaf can serve with simple grace. “A leaf is a leaf—/ a bit of a tree./ But when cool days come chasing,/ it can also be a... Lake glider/ Wind rider/ Pile grower/ Hill glow-er/ Frost catcher/ Moth matcher.” Dabija bathes her mixed-media scenes in a fuzzy glow, creating a welcoming environment in every spread. Leaves serve as a “Bat shelter” in a rainforest enclave, and as a “Ground warmer” in a snowy, mint green clearing. Appended notes elaborate upon the poetic descriptions, providing more insight into the integral roles that leaves play in life cycles. Ages 5–8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"This book is sure to open a child's eyes to the wonder of the natural world." —Washington Parent

From the Publisher

A leaf's various purposes are contemplated in this gentle celebration of nature. Fresh leaves burst forth in Salas' opening stanza, followed by two- to four-word couplets listing a leaf's many functions. This pattern continues for fall and winter, allowing her rhymed verse to reinforce the cyclical nature of the seasons. What pours forth in free-association–like fashion is sometimes poetic ("Wind rider / Lake glider"), oftentimes purposeful ("Air cleaner / Earth greener") and mostly playful ("Frost catcher / "Moth matcher"). Dabija's soft, ethereal illustrations lend a warmth and vibrancy to the text. Her palette, dictated by the weather, is full of lush greens, sultry browns, golden yellows and dusky blues. Through heavy use of the computer, she layers textures into varied patterns and shapes, giving each illustration an organic feel. While this effect is skillfully used on the backgrounds, it is less effective on the primary objects, leaving people and animals to appear pasted in, rather than integrated into the artwork. Compositionally, the images are nicely designed, but since one does not visually lead to the next, they are more like tableaux than a continuous visual narrative. An addendum explaining the author's word choices (what does she mean by "mouth filler"?) is included, as well as a suggested reading list and glossary. Simple and pleasing, with classroom-discussion and read-aloud appeal. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews

Dabija…saturates her pictures with lush color. Of course, there is lots of green but also dusty orange, misty lavender and deep mustard, in what is as much an exploration of the variation of color as it is of nature's changeability.
—The New York Times

Pamela Paul