Fletcher and the Falling Leaves

by Julia Rawlinson, Tiphanie Beeke (Illustrator)

Overview

Celebrate fall with the sweet and charming Fletcher the fox!

As the leaves fall from his favorite tree, Fletcher worries that something is terribly wrong. But then winter comes, and with it a wonderful surprise. Do you know what it is? Join Fletcher and find out. . . .

Fletcher the fox is concerned about nature and wants to understand the changing of the seasons. Young readers will share the feelings of wonder and empathy as they curl up with a parent or gather in circle time to enjoy this beautiful picture book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061134012
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/29/2006
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	454,619
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.25(h) x 0.38(d)
Lexile:	AD570L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Julia Rawlinson grew up in London and graduated from Southampton University with a degree in geography. She is the author of Fletcher and the Falling Leaves and Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke. She lives in London with her husband and two sons.

Tiphanie Beeke attended the Royal College of Art, where she earned a master's degree in communication and design. She is the illustrator of The Duck Who Played the Kazoo, by Amy E. Sklansky, and many other books for children. The artist lives in France with her husband and three children.

Editorial Reviews

This potent synthesis of art and prose conveys a child’s first awareness of the changing seasons with reverence and wonder.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Will make children gasp with delight.” — ALA Booklist

“A poetic tribute to winter and fall, Fletcher’s story is sure to resonate with young readers.” — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Will make children gasp with delight.

ALA Booklist

PreS-Gr 3-This potent synthesis of art and prose conveys a child's first awareness of the changing seasons with reverence and wonder. Fletcher, a tiny fox, is concerned when his favorite tree turns brown. His mother tells him, "Don't worry, it's only autumn," but the tree hardly seems fine to Fletcher. As its leaves fall and flutter away, the youngster struggles in vain to catch and reattach them. When only one leaf remains, he does his level best to secure it to the limb, but eventually the stem dries up and the leaf pops off. Mournful and confused, he carries it home and takes it to bed with him. Still worried about his tree, he wakes up the next morning to find that it has undergone a sweet and satisfying transformation. Beeke's resplendent watercolors work beautifully with the book's tone, content, layout, and design. Picture books about nature sometimes suffer from cloying, excessively pastoral language or imagery; this rare example succumbs to neither. A first purchase for every collection.-Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Fletcher is a young fox concerned about his favorite tree. "I think my tree is sick," he tells his mother, in reference to its brown leaves. His mother tells him not worry, that it's only autumn. Comforted, Fletcher pats his tree and reassures it. But as leaves begin to fall, Fletcher's worry increases, and he vows to collect all of the leaves and reaffix them. Despite his best efforts-he even tries to keep other animals from removing the leaves-Fletcher awakes one morning to find that the tree is bare, save one leaf that he brings home for safekeeping. When Fletcher next returns to visit the tree, he is met with a glorious sight: Glittering icicles adorn it. Awed, Fletcher asks if the tree is all right, and a breeze softly shakes its branches, causing them to nod and emit soft laughter. Softly glowing illustrations, evocative and full of depth, are perfectly matched with the warm and lyrical text. A poetic tribute to winter and fall, Fletcher's story is sure to resonate with young readers. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews

Fletcher is distraught as the season changes from summer to fall. There’s a tree in his life that he thinks of as “his tree,” and its leaves are turning brown. What can he do to make his tree feel better? How can the tree return to its leafy state? As Katherine Kellgren narrates, her voice projects caring and compassion for both Fletcher as he tries to comfort the leafless tree and for any young listener who has tried to understand the vagaries of Mother Nature. Kellgren is a leisurely but purposeful narrator who allows the impact of Fletcher's despair—and ultimate joy—to be fully realized. In the concluding interview, Julia Rawlinson shares her inspiration for writing the Fletcher stories and her methods of collecting writing ideas. A.R. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2010 - AudioFile