School Library Journal Review
Toddler-PreS--This cleverly structured narrative tracks the progression of the seasons, honoring the mathematical structure underlying the yearly cycle. The text counts the leaves appearing on a tree over the course of spring, counts back down as the leaves drop off in the autumn, and circles back around to the following spring when the count begins anew. Micklos's concise rhyming verse employs an impressive economy of language, which is bolstered by McFarland's bright, textured collage-style art. VERDICT A first purchase with important connections to early mathematical learning and natural science.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In a counting book that doubles as an introduction to the seasons, a boy counts the leaves on the tree outside his home. In the spring, leaves keep appearing ("Five leaves, six leaves/ way up high./ Seven leaves,/ eight leaves/ touch the sky"). By summer, there are too many leaves to count, but as the "air grows chilly," the leaves change color and fall, bringing the count back down to zero. In addition to highlighting how the tree changes, McFarland's grainy mixed-media graphics reveal a revolving assortment of animals, including a steadfast squirrel that appears in each scene. Micklos's punchy rhymes and McFarland's bold artwork create a breezy counting tale that encourages readers to observe subtle changes in the world around them. Ages 1-3. Author's agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator's agent: Anne Moore Armstrong, Bright Group. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
