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! 

The Cabin Key by Gloria Rand & Illus by Ted Rand

Gloria and Ted Rand are an amazing husband/wife team. However, I think they sometimes write books for adults more than children. As a somewhat nerdy/serious kid, I loved them then and I love them now, but they are not books that are going to get kids worked up. They are quiet and generally somewhat nostalgic. And they tend to be wordy. 

This story is no different. Using memories of the Rand family cabin, the story follows a little girl and her experiences at the cabin through her childhood. 

Great story, but you need to know your audience. Are they thoughtful? Can they sit quietly for several paragraphs before another page turn/picture? 

It was a very snowy day when I was taking picture, which seemed  fitting. 

I even had a snowy pinecone. 

Ted Rand does such brilliant landscape/nature scenes. 

The little girl is entrusted with unlocking the door, which is a huge honor. 

Aren't these pictures great? 

Carrying in the wood

Love, love, love this picture! 

The joys of enamelware.

Listening to stories and watching the flames.

Coziness. Doesn't that blanket look realistic?! 

Also, the next picture (that I didn't get a picture of) shows the little mice scurrying around, so not cozy and no sleep for me. 

The family cabin is all very well and good, but mice ruin all the warm fuzzys. My husband's family has a family cabin in the Rocky Mountains. One time we took my cousin and his wife for a weekend and didn't bring quite enough bedding, so we gave them the sleeping bags and ended up using the sheets/blankets that were already on the bed. It was dark when we went to sleep and I just thought there was sand in the sheets, but.... in the morning, I saw it wasn't sand. It was mouse dirt. 

I still love the cabin, but I don't plan on forgetting sleeping bags ever again. 

A Day for Skating by Sarah Sullivan & Illus by Madeline Valentine

This is a cozy little book about a little girl whose father takes her ice skating. 

I love a good winter scene!

Lacing up the skates

Trying out the skates.

Getting a helping hand

Hockey

Quaint bridges

Bonfire!

A hot bath with a faithful father in attendance. 

And night time creatures on the pond. 

Once Upon a Northern Night by Jean E. Pendziwol & Illus by Isabella Arsenault

Isn't this an adorable cover?! 

Did you know Isabella Arsenault is from Montreal? So pretty much local. 

Once upon a northern night

while you lay sleeping,

wrapped in a downy blanket

I painted you a picture.

The things that happen in the night...

Once upon a northern night

a mother deer led her fawn 

around the silent birch

and traced

a wandering path

on my canvas of white.

They nuzzled the sleeping garden

with memories of summer,

then wandered off

ti taste the frozen fruit

still clinging to an apple tree. 

The poor fox who just wants to play with the hares....

Once upon a norther night

deep,

deep, 

in the darkest hours,

the snowy clouds crept away

and the stars appeared--

twinkling points of light

hanging in the purple sky. 

I knew by the time you woke

the sun would have chased them away;

so I set them like diamonds

on the branches of the willow. 

The writing is so poetic. The pictures so soft and gentle. 

Dreamy and fitting for talking of the things that happen at night in the winter. 

And then

I had the moon gently kiss you

and the wind whisper...

I love you. 

I am not entirely sure who the narrator is here--the earth? The night? The world at large? 

But whatever it is, it is gentle, kind, and loving. 

And then, the awakening. 

That first morning of waking up to a snow covered world..... 

Magic! 

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak

I am a little overdue with this one, but... we just had our first killing frost, so really, not too far behind. 

I picked some leaves and flowers to take pictures and while I was setting them up, I saw this little stowaway. For my daughter's sanity, I relocated her (the spider, not my daughter) to the great outdoors. But she fit into the color scheme rather well. 

Kenard Pak always has such a soft and gentle palette, rather dreamy. 

Overall, this book is rather soft and gentle. There isn't a real driven plot, just a kid walking through his world, noticing the changes happening around him. It is a nice read, but it isn't a MUST READ NOW kind of book. 

Pak has a book like this for each season now--this main character goes through his world, noticing all the little signs of the approaching season. He interacts with the animals who tell him what they are doing to prepare for the upcoming fall.  

Even the clouds get into the conversation, 

My low rumble from far away, My clouds loom over the open fields and quiet hills. 

And then he heads into town to see all the town signs of approaching fall.

Leaves!

Cozy, evening light...

....and crisp fall morning. 

Fall has been casually sauntering towards us for a few weeks now, but tonight, when I headed into the woods with the dogs it was like it had started galloping and I hadn't noticed. Leaves are so deep and vibrant right now, geese flying over, leaves all over the ground, ferns dying, that fall wood smell....

Fall is here!  

Hope your fall is beautiful!