By Allison Sweet Grant and Adam Grant, illustrated by Merrilee Liddiard
Dial Books for Young Readers, 2020
Picture book, 32 pages, ages 5-8
Leif is afraid to fall. Even though all the other leaves say, “All leaves fall in the fall,” Leif doesn’t want that fate. It looks too painful. So with the help of his friend Laurel (the only laurel leaf on an oak tree – don’t think too hard about that one, like I did), Leif devises different ways to fall, or NOT to fall. All of his plans are deemed failures. In the end, when Leif is blown out of his tree, it’s the culmination of all those failed ideas that result in a soft landing.
A whimsical story about not being afraid to fall.
Would I have liked this book as a kid? As much as I want to say yes, I don’t think so. This is a book that will probably appeal more to adults. That being said, it’s a book that mini-perfectionist-me should have read as a kid (if it had been published way back then), but it would have been for the purpose of learning a life lesson and not for fun.
The authors’ writing style, while simple and age-appropriate, is a little too on-the-nose and heavy handed for my taste. It’s obvious that this book has an agenda. If you’re looking for a book with a message about not being afraid to fail, then this might be a good choice.
The illustrations – rendered in a primitive, whimsical style with lovely textures – nicely complement the text. However, and this is personal opinion, there is something uncanny about the faces and the way the leaves are illustrated. It’s just not my cup of tea.
Overall, this is a nice book to be read for a purpose. Not the most fun read, but it does fill a niche.
Leif and the Fall by Allison Sweet Grant and Adam Grant gets 3 1/2 stars from this reviewer.