Leaf Man

by Lois Ehlert

Ride the wind and drift east with Leaf Man in this autumnal classic by Caldecott Honor-winning author-illustrator Lois Ehlert, perfect for young readers returning to school in the fall. Fall has come, the wind is gusting, and Leaf Man is on the move. Is he drifting east, over the marsh and ducks and geese? Or is he heading west, above the orchards, prairie meadows, and spotted cows? No one's quite sure, but this much is A Leaf Man's got to go where the wind blows. Ehlert crafts each illustration out of actual fall leaves on every spread to reveal gorgeous landscapes. This playful and whimsical book celebrates the natural world and the rich imaginative life of children.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Nature, Storytime, Fiction, Art, Adventure

40 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2005

About the author

Lois Ehlert has created numerous inventive, celebrated, and bestselling picture books, including Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Holey Moley, The Scraps Book, Mice, Ten Little Caterpillars, RRRalph, Lots of Spots, Boo to You!, Leaf Man, Waiting for Wings, Planting a Rainbow, Growing Vegetable Soup, and Color Zoo, which received a Caldecott Honor. She lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful autumnal tale about leafs traveling on the wind. I like books like this that give you a new and expanded view of nature; something I think is sadly lacking in todays 'modern' perspective on our relationship with nature. Books like this may help to balance things out just a little bit.

[Hilary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was very disappointing, the cover looks great, leaves are beautiful and ideal for making art with and a wonderful way for children to learn to identify trees with at the same time. Although the pictures made of leaves are wonderful, they do not need bright coloured backgrounds, personally I would have appreciated the beautiful colours of the leaves more on a black or more plain coloured background, like the cover. The pictures inside made of leaves were wonderful but the text was awful. A line of text on each page along the lines of - the leaf man saw this, then did he go past this?, or this?, or this.....

Inside the front cover there were leaves with their names and inside the back cover there were some leaves that look perfectly identifiable but it says not sure what this one is next to a few! That's no good, look them up or ask someone! Pity, It's a really nice idea for illustration but the text lets this on down.

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I absolutely and with all my heart do love the imaginative and oh so evocative autumnally colour schemed leaf illustrations of Lois Ehlert's Leaf Man (and considering that Halloween will soon be upon us, I actually have also quite enjoyed that some of the depicted and presented leaf people and animals even kind of look delightfully and mildly creepy, not enough to in any manner ever frighten, but definitely sufficient to potentially give a few mild shivers and frissons), I really can only be positive and lauding with regard to Lois Ehlert's pictorial renderings. For the accompanying text of Leaf Man is not only rather thin and sparse with regard to information and detail, the entire sequence is also penned in such a tediously monotonous, choppy and at times annoyingly, unnecessarily repetitive style of expression that I actually have ended up focussing on only the illustration and trying my hardest to completely, to actually ignore the author's, Lois Ehlert's printed words, as they are and remain totally and utterly not to my taste, completely empty of what I would consider substance and form and are actually in my opinion even a bit of a potential burden to and for the truly spectacular fall-time leaf illustrations (pictures that are an absolutely spectacular aesthetic delight, with subtle coulors and shapes that just so totally and completely celebrate and commemorate the glory of autumn and the changing colours of deciduous tree leaves, or rather, this would be the case if the text, if the accompanying narrative were a bit more substantial and equally descriptive and evocative, if Lois Ehlert's presented and featured narrative were actually a celebration and adequate mirror of her illustrations). And thus, although if I were to just consider Leaf Man with regard to the illustrations, I would indeed and without question be rankling this book with a solid five stars, the at best totally lacklustre and colourless, overly sparse and tedious text, this does indeed leave very much to be desired to and for me, and makes me (although with a bit of guilt) only consider a three star maximum ranking for Leaf Man (and really, Lois Ehlert should in my opinion have considered just making her Leaf Man a wordless picture book, as her illustrations do certainly in every way capture my fancy, my imagination, and caress my sense of the aesthetics of autumn in a manner that her text has not and simply, utterly cannot, as sorry, but compared to the illustrations, the accompanying text of Leaf Man really is rather a pale nonentity at best).

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cool collage of real leaves forming all the illustrations--a leaf man, leaf birds, leaf fish, leaf prairies, leaf forests... it's nifty and fun for autumn though it didn't especially strike a chord with me.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved, loved, loved the leaves and the art made with them and the different shapes of the pages, and I liked the author’s note at the end. The “story” did nothing for me at all. This would have worked better for me as one of those wordless picture books. The leaves are wonderful though. 5 stars for the illustrations and 1 star for the story = 3 stars.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met this author when she came to our library for our storytelling festival. After hearing her talk about her work and her art, I appreciate and admire her books even more. Mainly she works in collage, though her cut out books, namely Color Farm and Color Zoo, are equally creative and detailed. Much of her inspiration comes from nature and I have a hard time believing she still has not won a caldecott medal for her work. Look for board book variations of her work for the new babies. THe shapes and colors she uses are very engaging. Her work is good for all ages.

[Teacher. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed at my blog: HERE @ Teacher.Mother.Reader Book Blog

Leaf Man comes from popular children’s Author and Illustrator Lois Elhert. Elhert is known for her collage style of illustrating, using found objects to create colorful and beautiful scenes. Leaf Man is available in a hardcover edition with glossy printed pages, each scalloped on the top to create a layered effect within the book.

Leaf man has landed in your yard, that’s right, look carefully and you will see the outline of a little man in the leaves. His body is a bright maple leaf and his hat is an acorn, do you see him now? Yes, that’s right; it is just like looking for shapes in the clouds. Each page tells an adventure of the leaves creating movement and shapes out of nature. The story is very simple, but the story is more than beautiful with the collages and your imagination.

Not only is Leaf Man a beautiful book, it’s the perfect jumping off point for exploring nature and creating your own nature crafts. Elhert simply introduces how delicate leave can set the scene for anything, just add imagination. I plan to re-read this with my Lil Guy and go on a leaf hunt in our own yard. The leafs guys we create will be so much fun! This book would be perfect for all children who like nature, like to create, and like to imagine. (That’s all children, right?)

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Creative. And oversized, so it's grabbable in the library, and shareable in circle time. Day care teachers might see if their children can assemble leaf critters and orchards, etc., themselves. (Some children might like to make patterns, like mandalas or grids, and that should be accepted, too, of course.)

I probably would have liked it more when I was a child or when my children were young. Now, well, it's just odd.

I do like Ehlert's Eating the Alphabet.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect to read aloud to younger kids before doing a craft with fall leaves!

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple narrative about the "Leaf Man" - whose travels on the wind are documented in a dreamlike text - are joined to gorgeous collage-style illustrations in this autumn-themed picture-book from Lois Ehlert, whose Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf is another exploration of the beauty of trees and leaves.

There isn't much to say, really, about the text here: it's not really a story, but is too unclear to be much of a seasonal meditation either. In short, I was completely indifferent, and like the friend who recommended this one (thank you, Lisa!), would have been just as happy if it had been omitted. The artwork, on the other hand, was very appealing, incorporating numerous fallen leaves (Ehlert apparently collects them, something with which I can greatly identify), and succeeding, both in color and light, in evoking the feeling of fall. Other than those who really appreciate these kind of visuals, though, I'm not really sure who I'd recommend it to...

[Linda Lipko · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful illustrated book. This is a story of leaves in the shape of a man. As the wind blows him along, he finds animals and other items in the shape of leaves. The pages are not typical and are in various shapes.

Creative, unique and very special, I highly recommend this lovely illustrated book.

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustrations made from leaves! Actually the illustrator's note says they're color copies of leaves, since real leaves tend to crumble and decay.

[Busy Mummy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for autumn time, so much so, the illustrations of the leaf man and the leaf animals and creatures featured in the story make you want to instantly go outside and create them yourself.

Fantastic book for any class discussing autumn changes and creative approaches to use outdoors such as, leaf hunting and identifying, creating our own leaf creatures/ animals, story mapping and retelling.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked a lot about this book is the big collection of various leaves and how they were transformed into different shapes to create geese or vegetables or whatever else the story mentioned. Art made by leaves! That's pretty cool. However, what I didn't like is how often the line, "A Leaf Man's got to go where the wind blows" repeats. It is literally only mentioned three times, but I felt like two times was enough.

[Sharon🔮👽 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was precious!

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The leaf art is pretty cool!

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3 stars

The illustrations are beautiful.
Simply stunning.

I love the colors.

In some ways I think this is more of an
art book for adults than a picture book
for children.

However, I think that children in general
would enjoy this book.

[Lobstergirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A formation of leaves vaguely resembling a man has blown away; the author wonders where he went. Pleasing large-scale photographic reproductions of leaves (Ehlert collects them everywhere she goes and quickly makes color photocopies before they fade). In some illustrations Ehlert has fashioned them into mice, chickens, fish, turtles, birds, butterflies, cows, and vegetables. The endpapers identify some leaf species and now I'm wondering if that enormous ovate-leafed weed in one of my planters is an elm sapling. It's starting to form bark, and I don't think most weeds do that, do they?

[Jennifer (JenIsNotaBookSnob) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously this won the Caldecott for the illustrations. These were definitely creative and original when the book originally came out. They just aren't my style. I sort of like Rain Fish, also be Ehlert but perhaps it was the color scheme. I didn't overly enjoy the text, but, I did like the creative way the pages are cut to layer together.

It's hard to review something you know that you should like but your own personal tastes just don't align. If you like the cover, you'll probably like the book. This is a good case for judging a book by its' cover.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the story is a bit thin, this book shows a lot of artistic creativity. Ehlert uses photocopies of real leaves to create all kinds of creatures throughout the book, including the leaf man, leaf chickens, leaf ducks, leaf fish, leaf birds, etc. I really appreciated that the leaves are identified on the inside covers, front and back. In addition, the pages are not all the same size and shape, but cut into some interesting shapes along the tops. All in all, quite a lovely book.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple words accompany color copies of leaves transformed into animals, fish, and vegetables on a search for “Leaf Man.” Uses repetition of “A Leaf Man’s got to go where the wind blows.” The inside and back covers include pictures of leaves with labels of types which might encourage children to identify the leaves in their backyard.

[Shawn Deal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is a unusual and creative way of illustrating using just leaves. The story starts with a collection of leaves on the ground that resemble a man. They are blown and travel through air and water, changing to birds or fish, still illustrated just by leaves. This was a remarkable little book.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic illustrations. Love.

[Lizet Serrano]

I think the illustrations are what make this such a great story. I also, like the fact that the names of the leaves are included, which could be something that could catch a child's attention.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very creative use of fall leaves to make a variety of shapes.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous collage-art highlights a story that tells of all the things spied by a leaf caught on the wind.

[Michaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: The beauty of the autumn leaves is the theme of this refreshing and seasonally appropriate book that fires children's imaginations. Leaf man, the main character of the book, has got to go where the wind blows. He explores the ducks, marsh and geese in the east and the orchards, spotted cows and prairie meadows in the west. The illustrations made from actual fall leaves make the story come alive, and the die-cut pages display breath-taking landscapes.

Characteristics that Support the Genre: The setting and season are established with illustrations made from actual fall leaves and die-cut pages that reveal beautiful autumn landscapes. This is a fun, whimsical, and evocative book that celebrates nature and encourages children to use their imaginations.

Mentor Writing Traits: The plot is simple and clearly developed, and the theme of the beauty of fall leaves is relevant and understandable for children. Because the author wants to paint a beautiful picture of fall, the words are carefully selected to set the mood, create vivid images, and convey the theme. The rhythmic style of writing includes sentences that flow and the repetition of some words and phrases, so it is a concrete example of sentence fluency. The illustrations made from actual fall leaves as well as the voice and language come through very well in the book's presentation.

Word Choice- Because the author wants to paint an inspiring picture, the word choice is done ever so carefully including adding words into the story to represent the family’s heritage. This is a great touch and provides a real story behind the fiction.


Classroom Integration: As the theme suggests, this book should be read in autumn when leaves are falling. This book can be used to teach vocabulary and sight words in first grade. After reading this book aloud to students, give students each a plastic sandwich bag and take them outside to collect at least seven fallen leaves to use to build their own leaf men and women. Put extra leaves and an assortment of pinecones, sticks, and rocks out on trays for students to borrow. Have them use their leaves and any of the items on the trays that they like to make their own leave person by arranging the materials on a white sheet of paper and writing their names on it. When students are done making their leaf person, have them take a picture of their leaf person and caption it with a sentence using sight words and correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Then, help them upload their captioned artwork to Seesaw, an app that allows parents to view and comment on their students’ work.

Other Suggestions: Have the rest of the class do other work such as Lexia on their iPads while you pull three or four students at a time to make their leaf person. Expand this lesson by turning it into a writing project. Instruct students to write at least a few sentences about the adventure that their leaf person takes.

Grades: PreK-2
Guided Reading Level: K

[Celia Buell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one a lot and I especially appreciate how the various leaf pictures turn into familiar objects the longer you look. In the first few pages especially, I didn't see the chickens or the geese until it was pointed out by the text. But when I knew to look, I started seeing things in a lot of different places. In terms of the illustrations, I also liked that the pages were different sizes and shapes, and how this was used to create a background across all the pages and to show the passage of time.

While I do agree that the text is a little unnecessary, I do appreciate the way it helps the reader look at the pictures and leaf creations to see things they may have missed. I would find it interesting to use this one in a read-aloud with young kids. Potentially, I would show the pictures first and have kids talk about them, and then read the words on a subsequent reading.

Personally, I've gotten back into photography lately, and I love capturing fall on my campus. Leaf Man makes me feel the same way that my camera does: the art in nature is there, you just need to find it.

I'm debating bringing this one in with the other idle-time books I've been using with my kids at work (I switch out titles every 2-3 weeks) but I don't love that it's a larger, clunky hardcover title. I think my kids would get a lot out of this one, especially if the ones who are pre-reading work with the ones who are already reading (I have one who is getting really good at telling the story through pictures, though I don't think she's reading in a traditional sense yet, and I think she would really benefit from this one).

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately as I've been on too many book buying binges lately) the prices for this one on Thriftbooks are ridiculously high right now, at least compared to what I usually spend on the site, so I won't be able to purchase this one for a while.

[Brenna Quirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leaves are personified into a man or being that travels across great spaces. Only the wind knows where the Leaf Man will go, and in his life time he may travel across many landscapes and nations.
I really enjoyed the creativity within this picture book! Not only does it give specific and colorful examples of what different types of leaves, as the story goes on the shapes of the leaves form what is being described by the words. The way the leaves are subtly put together to form illustrations is a great way to engage readers and point out to young readers how the images connect and often times add on to the story being told. It also has an informational guide to what leaf shapes at the end that readers can reference and learn from. I would recommend this to children from ages 4-7 who express interest in nature, outdoor activities, and enjoy creative art and bright colors. This story would also be especially good to read during the fall as there are many leaves on the ground that are also turning bright colors. As a child my family pressed leaves we found on family walks into books and had us caption them or personalize all the pages with the leaves we found. This book can inspire similar learning experiences. The diversity presented in the book can be shown in the variety of landscapes addressed and the many types of leaves represented within the images, but does not have any diverse characters.

[Shadow the Hedgehog · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I picked this book up, I thought to myself, "The leaf paintings look very realistic!" They are, in fact, photocopies of leaves the author found. She says that leaves "are among the most beautiful art supplies in the world." After seeing how she assembled them for this book, I have to agree. If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be "cute."

What I liked
art and layout
The book is oversized and easy for small hands to hold. The pages themselves are cut in on top in scalloped, leaf-like patterns.

As for the collage-style art, it is charming, unique, and colorful. The author uses leaves to create abstract depictions of animals and landscapes.

the story
The story itself follows a leaf called Leaf Man as he journeys across the world. Where he goes next is anyone's guess. Along his journey he floats above ducks, chickens, cows, and other creatures. I think that's just cute!

Conclusion
This is a fun book about autumn. I could see this being useful to encourage kids to explore nature. Maybe you could use it as a jumping off point to encourage kids to collect leaves and make their own illustrations.