Full of Fall

PreS-Gr 2--The pages in this beautiful tribute to autumn virtually throb with color at every turn. A seasonal companion to Raindrops Roll and Best in Snow, this title highlights the glorious show that is performed each year by trees around the world. Simple, elegant poetry leads readers through the progression of changing leaves as the landscape prepares for winter. "Trees are ready. Twigs let go. Leaves slip and spin. Wind sweeps--leaves blow!" The crisp, full-color photographs saturate every spread, providing varying perspectives, from close-ups of individual leaves to wide shots of trees of every hue on the water's edge. Short paragraphs at the end offer information on the science behind the changing colors and the life cycle of the leaves. VERDICT While there are a multitude of books about leaves and autumn, this one is a standout for its elegance, simplicity, and gorgeous photography--perfect for sharing with the youngest learners.--Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

In a companion to Best in Snow and Raindrops Roll, Sayre offers a luminous look at autumn leaves, pairing spare verse with crisp photography: "Hello, yellow./ Greetings, gold./ Oh--it's orange!/ Red, be bold." Sayre's full-bleed photographs include images of trees laden with vivid leaves, rippling water that transforms unseen leaves above into an abstract display, and the "Margins. Midribs./ Sunlit veins" of a single leaf shown in close-up. Later in the fall, "Trees are ready./ Twigs let go./ Leaves slip and spin./ Wind sweeps-- leaves blow!" The final stage of decomposition welcomes winter's approach. Sayre's visual tribute to fall foliage gently implores readers to notice the quiet beauty unfolding all around them. A closing spread provides detailed insight into the science behind trees' exquisite autumnal show. Ages 3-8. Agent: Emily Mitchell, Wernick & Pratt. (Aug.)