I Perch on the Porch by Laura Purdie Salas & Illus by Mercé López

I perch on the porch, 

spooky face frozen in place,

fire burning inside. 

--From Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons

Reward for Raking by Laura Purdie Salas & Illus by Mercé López

Reward for raking: 

A crispy crowd of loud crunch 

when you jump in me.

--From Lion of the Sky: Haiku for all Seasons

I'm Red, Delicious by Laura Purdie Salas & Illus by Mercé López

I'm red, delicious--

with a quick twist of your wrist,

I'm free from the tree. 

--From Lion of the Sky: Haiku for all Seasons

Lawrence in the Fall by Matthew Farina & Illus by Doug Salati

Happy fall!

This is a sweet little book about a young fox and his father exploring the woods and noticing things.

I had fun gathering leaves for this picture. And I liked this little leaf with the rebellious green patch. 

Why are anthropomorphisized (clearly not a real word) foxes so charming? 

A badger teacher! 

Students had to bring in their collections, but Lawrence, had no collection to bring in. Isn't he adorably worried here? 

His father reassured him that he knew just where to find a collection for Lawrence. 

In the morning, they set off into the woods. 

"There is no better place to find what you need than the woods," Papa explained. 

I am not quite sure if he is being specific or general here, but I believe this in a general way. The woods are always good for what you need. 

Spiders eat their collection of flies. Not what Lawrence was hoping for. 

After looking for several collectibles and not finding one just right, a storm starts. 

In all the running and pell-melling, Lawrence gets separated from his dad. 

He calls and calls for his dad, but the only response is a leaf falling on his head. 

Eventually he finds his dad. 

And he shows his dad how trees drop leaves to him when he calls. 

With a new collection of leaves, they head home to their hobbit hole. That door in the hillside--so cute!

Everyone loves Lawrence's collection. 

So he takes his classmates exploring and they collect their own leaves!

The end papers are leaf identification pages. 

I love this book. Mostly because I just love nature, but also the springboard it gives little ones to go out and collect leaves. I plan on reading this book and then taking my students out to the woods to make their own collection of leaves. I might pair it with Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert and have them make little leaf men from the leaves they collect. For older students, I might pair it with field guides and have students identify some of the leaves they bring in. 

More excuses to get kids outside? Yes please! 

My Autumn Book by Wong Herbert Yee

To be honest, it doesn't much feel like autumn anymore. But technically, of course, it still is. Even if we have already had a snowday. Even if it has been in the single digits four nights this past week. It IS still autumn. 

So I am still putting up books about fall. While humming Christmas carols and sipping hot cocoa. At least in spirit. Ha!

(My husband is one of those grumpy people who dislikes Christmas carols in general and particularly before December 1st. And we are on day 28 of the Whole30, so strictly no hot cocoa for me. BUT if I could, I would be sipping hot cocoa and loudly singing carols. Because if temperatures near zero and six inches of snow on the ground don't mean winter, I have missed the point.) 

Herbert Wong Yee has some ridiculously cute books. He has one for each of the seasons. And of course, they caught my eye because they are little. (All books are more interesting when they are little.)

In this book, our little explorer is checking out the world for signs of fall. 

Okay, okay, this book should have been posted in September. But I am just getting around to it. No judging. It is STILL AUTUMN.

I love her quietness and photography skills. 

I was once that kid. My siblings might argue about the quietness thing, but I loved walks and taking pictures of outside things. 

Geese!

The geese around here seem to be just as surprised as we are by the early arrival of solid winter. They are flying high and long these days. 

Trees in fall finery.

Exulting!

After the joy of discovery, our little explorer heads up to her bedroom and lays out all her treasures and pictures. 

Then she makes an autumn book

To remember what fall was like

When winter has come. 

You know my feelings about cozy inside scenes. I LOVE THEM.