Pairing a simple text of no more than a few words per page with bright, autumnal illustrations, Leaves offers a sometimes humorous, sometimes sweet look at a young bear's first experience with the changing seasons. When he awakens again in the spring, he discovers new leaves budding, and joyfully welcomes them to the world.
Concerned when the leaves begin to fall, our ursine hero at first attempts to replace them on the trees, but when he eventually gets sleepy he uses them to line a cave in which to hibernate.
This review was published in the School Library Journal January 2018 issue.A bear experiences his first autumn and winter in this lovely picture-book examination of the changing of the seasons from author/illustrator David Ezra Stein. VERDICT A seasonal read with storytime potential and staying power, Honey is not to be missed. Throughout, the art balances the straightforward sensory details of the text, with some actions described and others-such as a well-deserved bee sting on the nose-purely visual (“Busy bees don’t like to be bothered.”). Highlighting the natural greens and golds of summer, Stein’s pen-and-watercolor illustrations are suffused with loose, childlike exuberance, while their relatively small scale (each page is bordered with ample white space) invites a sense of intimacy, drawing readers into the bear’s anticipation and eventual satisfaction.
In the meantime, the other delights of spring and summer beckon, and the bear relishes warm grass, bursting berries, and rushing rain as he waits for the telltale buzz that heralds his favorite treat. Though he can remember it perfectly, “spicy, aromatic, sparkling with sunlight,” he soon realizes that it’s too early in the season to find any honey. PreS-Gr 2 –The curious young bear from Leaves returns for “his second year,” fresh from hibernation and eager for the taste of honey.
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