Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf. Writing and pictures by Lois Ehlert. 1991. ISBN 0-15-266197-2. Young children (Ages 3 to 10) and their families. Ehlert has received honors for the Caldecott medal for other books, and has also received a New York Times Best Illustrated Picture Book award.
A young child and their parent describe the growth of a Sugar Maple tree from seed to full grown. Each season is chronicled nicely with Ehlerts delightfully crafty collages of seeds, roots, fabric, wire, watercolors, paper leaves and more!
The story takes the readers from wild sugar maple seeds in the woods, to surviving a squirrels appetite, to the trees very first roots, a trip to the garden center, and finally to our child's backyard, where it can grow wild again! The tree is known for it's beautiful red and yellow leaves in the Fall season, and the pictures capture the vibrancy of the leaves well.
After the child's story, there is a multitude of information on the sugar maple tree and other trees, and how your family could grow one of their own. It is thorough, but light, with enough information to peak your interest and get you thinking about planting a special tree in your yard!
This book is a great introduction book to the fall season as well as a good lead in for Arbor Day. Because of the unique collages in the book, a funky art project using different and random medium could be inspiring. Another project could be something to do with gathering different leaves from different trees, learning how to identify each, and then pressing them.
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