Fletcher and the Falling Leaves: A Fall Book for Kids

Product Information

I have loved this picture book ever since I first read it, and I asked for a copy for Christmas when I was sixteen. This charming autumnal picture book for young children with a gentle caring storyline by Julia Rawlinson is brought to life with stunning artwork by Tiphanie Beeke. Originally published in Britain as Ferdie and the Falling Leaves (and subsequently published by Scholastic, for the American school-market, as The Fox and the Falling Leaves), this delightful autumn picture-book follows the story of a young fox, and his somewhat less-than-graceful adjustment to the changing of the seasons. Fletcher tells his tree friend that he’ll do everything he can to help and is soon scurrying around after falling leaves.

Deeply attached to his favorite tree, Fletcher was terribly worried, as autumn proceeded, to notice it losing leaves. Fletcher is such a sweet character, and the book's gentle exploration of accepting change is perfect. There's a melancholy to the story as Fletcher is confused and sad as to why the leaves continue to fall, so he protects the leaves day after day, but as the season changes the reader understands his grief.Fletcher and the Falling Leaves” is a cute story about the beauty of changes in weather that I am sure that many children who are interested in knowing what happens to the trees during winter and autumn will easily enjoy for many years! I love the way that Julia Rawlinson makes Fletcher into such a cute and determined character and what I really loved about Fletcher was how he did not understand about how it is natural for leaves to fall off the trees during winter and autumn but it made him into a caring and determined character which many children will definitely relate to Fletcher’s predicament as I am pretty sure that some small children wondered about what happens to the leaves on the trees during winter and autumn just like little Fletcher here! The final page, in which Fletcher finally sees his tree in a new light, was particularly beautiful, offering a satisfying reassurance that, while change has come, it hasn't destroyed the tree's beauty.

But I do like that the book focuses on a very emotional character who cares deeply about his favorite tree, it makes for such a poetic way to carry the story. Fletcher si rubah kecil yang amat menyukai sebuah pohon harus berurusan dengan angin dan tupai dan landak karena mencuri semua dedaunan. As the autumn season sets in, Fletcher is very worried his beautiful tree has begun to loose all of its leaves.Overall, this book has gorgeous artwork that illustrates the changing seasons and tells a very heartfelt story. Determined to do something about it, he soon discovered that it was impossible, either to prevent the tree from shedding its leaves, or to reattach them, once they had fallen.

September 2019 update: I listened to a school librarian read this book aloud with first-grade students and they really got into the story. A tiny breeze shivered the branches, making a sound like laughter, and in the light of the rising sun, the sparkling branches nodded.Julia Rawlinson has certainly done an awesome job at writing this story about a young fox’s attempts to save the tree he loves! Fletcher loves his tree, but when autumn comes he begins to fear that something terrible is happening--for the leaves begin to turn color and fall off. The illustrations perfectly capture the sweetness and gentleness of the story and the final illustration held a beautiful surprise for me just as the tree holds a surprise for Fletcher! This is a sweet story and while our girls aren't as naive as Fletcher, this is their first Fall and it will be their first Winter season (in a location that gets cold and snowy, that is! The narrative itself captures a young child's uncertainty and fear, when confronted with change, while the beautiful pastel illustrations evoke all the magic of the season.