Leaflets Three, Let It Be!: The Story of Poison Ivy

by Anita Sanchez, Robin Brickman (Illustrator)

What’s the first thing anyone hears about poison ivy? “Leaflets three, let it be!” But this engaging nonfiction book will surprise readers who fear the itch–inducing plant. Taking us through the year, the narrative introduces the rabbit who nibbles on the tender leaves after a hard winter, the salamander who shelters in the plant’s cool, umbrella–shadows, the fall insects who wrap themselves in poison–ivy blankets, and the birds who feast on its berries in the starving heart of winter. Poison ivy has always seemed mysterious in its danger, but it too has a purpose and it has something to give.

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Nature, Science, Plants

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 7, 2015

Reviews

[Ada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why isn't this scarier? Poison ivy is the worst thing ever. Kids don't need a book about animals eating poison ivy for nourishment. They need pictures of rashes! They need to feel the agony of the urushiol!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction with an engaging, informative narrative and wonderful illustrations. I love the point the author makes that plants are neither good nor bad. What's bad for humans is great for other animals.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

We recoil in fear when hearing anyone say, "I've got poison ivy." We think it is bad, bad, bad, but this book brings it into perspective and gives us ways it it a helpful, useful plants to other wildlife
This would be perfect to pair with the quiz at http://www.poison-ivy.org/
in the spring with students to compare media while learning about how to correctly identify this plant.
Realistic illustrations help pinpoint the facts being presented, and "Itching to Know More?" gives us a wonderful presentation.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had my share of itchy diseases and bug bites, but I am grateful not to have had a run-in with poison ivy. A solid book about a plant with an uber-bad reputation, Leaflets Three, Let It Be! shows readers how to avoid the itchy rash brought on by contact with the plant, but it also explains that most animals co-exist quite easily with it. Illustrations and text are both excellent.

Original post on http://www.mackinvia-connext.com/2015...

[Holly Mueller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kids will be interested to know that poison ivy isn't all bad - it can make a good support for nests, provide shade, nectar for bees, food for insects, white berries for hungry birds in the winter, and more. The oily chemical, urushiol, which gives approximately 85% of us a nasty rash, isn't harmful to animal who depend on it. I loved the painted paper illustrations, given a 3-D effect by layering and photographing the result.

[Teresa Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poison ivy often gets a bad rap. True, the chemical urushoil in the plant can cause humans to itch, but it is a lifesaver to living creatures everywhere. This book instructs how to recognize poison ivy and tells its virtues too. Both informative and interesting, it is a good read before you head outdoors.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both educational and entertaining! I had no idea poison ivy was so important to the ecosystem! And the writing itself was beautiful and lyrical.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ode to poison ivy. This is one of those books that provides you with an understanding of a plant beyond our narrow itchy world of the plant. It helps a person of any age understand that while the oil in the plant may give humans a rash and make us itch, the plant itself provides food and protection for many animals.

I will admit, that just thinking about coming into contact with poison ivy makes me feel itchy, but I also know that the more I know about it the better I can protect myself from ending up with the itchy rash. The only thing that would have made this book better would have been to provide a pronunciation of the word urushiol. (That's the oil that causes a rash on humans.) That is being really nit picky and in no way takes away from the book.

This book takes you through a full year cycle of the plant to see how it benefits wildlife while at the same time showing you all of its parts and colors, shapes, and sizes so that you can let it be. The backmatter is written in a Q &A format and answers the burning questions you may have when you actually end up with a rash and blisters.

On the very last page, there is an artist's not about how Robin Brickman created the incredible life-like artwork for this book. So much loving attention to the plant and wildlife.

I first learned about this book reading Melissa Stewart's Celebrate Science blog and a post by Anita Sanchez. http://celebratescience.blogspot.com/...

Every nature center and earth science program should have a copy of this book.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very kid-friendly and informative book on poison ivy. The art in the book is creative and has a three-dimensional feel. I love the approach; all plants have value in the ecosystem. Poison ivy is food, nesting material, shelter, and on and on in the forest. The book also explains the unfortunate effect it has to some humans creating a nasty and itchy rash that can last for two weeks. It debunks myths of it spreading from person to person without having touched the oil that is the offending part. I learned so much!

[Alissa Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating facts and great illustrations. Anita Sanchez always does a wonderful job of writing non-fiction in ways that children can easily understand. This book includes facts about the life cycle of poison ivy as well as a Q&A at the end.

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO informative and interesting. Poison ivy is shown in all its seasons to warn allergic humans, but it is also shown as beneficial to wildlife.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a children's picture book that tells the story of poison ivy through a year's seasons using simple text and pictures made of painted paper cutouts.

I really enjoyed the pictures in this book. The combination of detailed semi-realism from the paint plus three-dimensional depth from the sculptured cutouts worked really well especially in the tangled botanical illustrations. It also does a good job of siting poison ivy within a network of relationships in the forest.

Unfortunately as an informational book about poison ivy, I can't recommend it. The narrative focus on interaction with other creatures means there's not as much information about how humans can live with (or avoid having to live with) the dreaded vine, and what there is, is sort of shoehorned in awkwardly and with little context. And some of the information it does have is sufficiently simplified as to be misleading, such as the repeated statement that poison ivy leaves are all red in the early spring. Some simplification is ok in science books for very young children, but poison ivy is one case where ignorance is *much* safer than overconfidence.

[Cierra Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about poison ivy and how we stay away from it, but it has many useful tools for other creatures. It is a list of poison ivy benefits. The illustrations have a lot of nature and drawings of other creatures and how they use the poison ivy to survive. I didn't like this book at all. It was not interesting and really boring to me. I can see kids in boys or girls scouts using this book as an information tool for when they are in nature. Kids who like plants or who encounter poison ivy would enjoy this book.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book needs to be way scarier. :-p As someone *severely* allergic to poison ivy, I didn't WANT to learn about animals finding it tasty. I wanted to be told exactly how to find it, so I can avoid it FOREVER!
That said, I appreciated the note at the back stating that plants are neither inherently good nor evil. And I suppose it's nice to know that my agony comes from a plant that helps many different species survive year-round.
But UGH all the same!

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative narrative about the common enemy, poison ivy told as a narrative interspersed with factual information and a nice follow-up

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good nature-based book about poison ivy.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice mix of collage and real photographs. The information is interesting, and stresses that a plant that may be inconvenient for humans has real importance for other species and the environment.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that this covers how helpful poison ivy is to so many other creatures. Helpful Q & A at the end, too.