THE LEAF THIEF, by Alice Hemming and Nicola Slater, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, Aug. 1, 2021, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 4-8)
A squirrel’s life gets turned upside down when his favorite leaves start disappearing in Alice Hemming and Nicola Slater’s The Leaf Thief.
Squirrel loves counting the leaves on his tree — red leaves, gold leaves, orange, and more. But hold on! One of his leaves is missing! On a quest to find the missing leaf, Squirrel teams up with his good friend Bird to discover who the leaf thief could be among their forest friends. Is there truly a leaf thief afoot, or is something else going on in Squirrel’s forest? —Synopsis provided by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
With leaves starting to change colors, The Leaf Thief is a perfect read. This humorous look at the changing of seasons not only celebrates nature but learning to adapt to change as well. Brightly colored illustrations paired with bold font quickly draw attention, and squirrel’s silly antics are sure to bring laughs.
At ages 4-8, publisher’s suggested age range for The Leaf Thief is way too high. The book is definitely preschool gold, and I can see kindergarteners enjoying it, too. But any older may be a stretch unless it’s an older sibling reading to a younger one. I’d suggest ages 3-6 for this one.
