Book Recommendation: Lois Ehlert Leaf Man

Book Recommendation: Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert, c. 2005

Are you familiar with Lois Ehlert's books? Ehlert is both author and illustrator. I LOVE her books- as an art teacher and book lover. Her desire was to "inspire children to pay attention to the beauty of our world, to make things of their own, and to have fun while doing it." Allyn Johnston, friend and colleague.

She was a master of creating collage art for her books. In Leaf Man, each illustration is created by actual leaves! The composition of the leaves tell the story of the "Leaf Man". "Well, a Leaf Man's got to go where the wind blows."
He starts off in a pile of leaves until the gentle rustling of the wind carries him on an adventure over the marsh, over the fields, and ..... that's up to the reader to decide! On his adventure, Leaf Man encounters a variety of animals and plants- all created from leaves - mouse, turkey, ducks, pumpkins, carrots and more. The author ends the story with encouragement to "listen for a rustle in the leaves. Maybe you'll find a Leaf Man waiting to go home with you."

I love how Ehlert creates the overlapping pages. In Leaf Man, she used a die-cut method to shape the tops of the pages. The majority of the pages have a zig-zag, curvy, or curved top and overlap in such a way to create a "landscape" feel to the story. It's pretty cool! You must check it out!!!
Check your local library for Leaf Man and the other dozens of books Lois Ehlert wrote over the years! Of course, this is also available on Amazon.

Our Creator knew that being in nature reduces stress, improves focus, helps develop problem-solving skills, improves cognitive function, stimulates creativity and curiosity, and is just plain good for us! Let's get outside!

We created a list of 13 kid activities inspired by Leaf Man! Explore, Connect and Create with us. Click here to Get your free 13 Creative Ideas inspired by Lois Ehlert's book Leaf Man today!