Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert, tells the story of a sugar maple tree and the young child who planted it. The story begins with the young boy looking out the window as he sees many sugar maple seeds flying around his backyard.
As the seasons pass he notices that the sugar maple seeds begin to grow. One day as he glances to his backyard he notices that nursery workers have come to the woods to collect the tree sprouts.
He explains how the trees are then tended for as well as measured, marked, and uprooted again and are then wrapped and tied with twine.
During the fall time the boy and his father visit the garden center where the boy picks out his maple tree. Together the father and son plant the tree and care for it. As seasons pass the boy continues to watch his tree grow and the beautiful changes it goes through.
Children often go through many changes as they grow, this book shows that every change is beautiful and brings wonderful things along with it.
Something so small as a seed grew to be a beautiful sugar maple tree. In that same way kids begin off very small and need lots of care and guidance to grow into strong adults, Red Leaf Yellow Leaf, does a wonderful job in showing kids exactly just that. The book is filled with beautiful, colorful illustrations and many different designs.
Throughout the book many of the pictures have small captions which are then shown on the last few pages explaining what they are. For example, some of the illustrations had tools that were used to plant the tree, these tools then show up in the last pages giving more detail about them. The last pages also include specific vocabulary about trees and facts as well.
Although the book is a very simple read, it keeps children entertained and captures a wonderful story about changes that are good and bring good things. This book is probably most recommended to children around the ages of seven to nine. I very much enjoyed the book and believed it included themes about change, growth, care and the relationships one has growing up. I believe children would enjoy this book and come to believe that all the changes they go through will make them into strong children just like the sugar maple.
- Goodreads rating – 3.99
- SUMMARY – Jessica Garcia