Review by Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 2. When the leaves on his favorite tree turn brown and begin to drop, Fletcher, a young fox, worries that the tree is sick. Although he tries his best to help the tree, the last leaf finally falls. The next day when Fletcher visits the tree, he sees a magical sight that convinces him that falling leaves don't signify the tree's demise. Rawlinson's carefully worded text is superbly matched by Beeke's impressionistic watercolors. Fletcher's character is clearly evident in his distinct facial features and body language, and the magical change of the season is accentuated as the scenery goes from soft, hazy earth tones to cool white and blue-green. For the scene in which Fletcher beholds the magical sight of the tree covered with ice, sparkle has been glued to the pages; the effect will make children gasp with delight. Given such a strong debut, the unforgettable Fletcher is primed for more picture books as he discovers the ways of the world. --Randall Enos Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Beeke's (The Stars Will Still Shine) attractive watercolors are a good match for British author Rawlinson's poetic tale of a small fox who tries to save a tree's autumn leaves. When "the soft, swishing sound of summer fades to a crinkly whisper," Fletcher worries about the brown leaves on his favorite tree. Beeke's illustrations show the shifting colors of the tree and Fletcher's poignant anxiety with equal deftness. When Fletcher finally wakes up to find his tree "hung with a thousand icicles, shining silver in the early light," the blue-toned, frosty tree is adorned with literal glitter on the page. Rawlinson liberally sprinkles the graceful text with child-friendly images, but the slight story seems too elaborate for the book's theme. Fletcher is appalled when various animals use the leaves for their winter nests, but his anguish sometimes seems too exaggerated: "Help! Help! The wind, the squirrel, and the hedgehog are stealing our leaves," he cries. The remainder of the book seems designed to fill out the book's pages rather than to provide scenes integral to the story. A "flock of friendly birds" responds to Fletcher's plea and pokes the leaves back onto the tree's branches, while Fletcher climbs the tree and valiantly guards the last attached leaf. Oddly, while Fletcher's mother observes his grief, she doesn't provide an explanation of the change of seasons beyond telling him "it's only autumn." Nonetheless, the last image of the sparkling, snowy tree will likely surprise and delight young readers. Ages 3-up. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-This potent synthesis of art and prose conveys a child's first awareness of the changing seasons with reverence and wonder. Fletcher, a tiny fox, is concerned when his favorite tree turns brown. His mother tells him, "Don't worry, it's only autumn," but the tree hardly seems fine to Fletcher. As its leaves fall and flutter away, the youngster struggles in vain to catch and reattach them. When only one leaf remains, he does his level best to secure it to the limb, but eventually the stem dries up and the leaf pops off. Mournful and confused, he carries it home and takes it to bed with him. Still worried about his tree, he wakes up the next morning to find that it has undergone a sweet and satisfying transformation. Beeke's resplendent watercolors work beautifully with the book's tone, content, layout, and design. Picture books about nature sometimes suffer from cloying, excessively pastoral language or imagery; this rare example succumbs to neither. A first purchase for every collection.-Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Fletcher is a young fox concerned about his favorite tree. "I think my tree is sick," he tells his mother, in reference to its brown leaves. His mother tells him not worry, that it's only autumn. Comforted, Fletcher pats his tree and reassures it. But as leaves begin to fall, Fletcher's worry increases, and he vows to collect all of the leaves and reaffix them. Despite his best efforts--he even tries to keep other animals from removing the leaves--Fletcher awakes one morning to find that the tree is bare, save one leaf that he brings home for safekeeping. When Fletcher next returns to visit the tree, he is met with a glorious sight: Glittering icicles adorn it. Awed, Fletcher asks if the tree is all right, and a breeze softly shakes its branches, causing them to nod and emit soft laughter. Softly glowing illustrations, evocative and full of depth, are perfectly matched with the warm and lyrical text. A poetic tribute to winter and fall, Fletcher's story is sure to resonate with young readers. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
