15 September 2016 WONDERFALL by Michael Hall, Greenwillow, September 2016, 40p., ISBN: 978-0-06-238298-6

“Trees, falling leaves come alive, watch them glide.”

--Peter Frampton, “All Night Long”

“Peacefall

A gentle

breeze is

jiggling

me.

I hear

my

acorns

drop.

Plink,

plunk,

plop.

There’s a week left until the autumnal equinox, the beginning of fall in the northern hemisphere. I’m torn: On one hand, I enjoy the more temperate, less-foggy weather that typically arrives in San Francisco with the onset of fall. On the other hand, the days are getting shorter and shorter.

Michael Hall’s magnificent WONDERFALL, a lyrical look at fall from the eyes of an oak tree, is a celebration of the natural changes and cultural events--back to school, Halloween, Thanksgiving--that mark the next three months in the U.S.

Michael Hall’s Wonderfall is filled with endearingly expressive creatures to catch sight of. There are gray squirrels, monarch butterflies, little brown bats, Canada geese, raccoons, snowshoe hares, red foxes, white-tailed deer, great horned owls, cardinals, and indigo buntings. In two information-packed spreads following the story, Hall writes about the creatures getting ready for winter and the concepts of hibernation and migration.

“Resourcefall

Chopped,

bagged,

stomped,

and stowed,

my leaves

will make

marvelous

mulch.”

Standing tall at the center of the story is the oak tree which, through the page turns, first turns color and then sheds its leaves. Hall works digitally, utilizing acrylic and pastel textures to create the simple oak-shaped leaves.

If I were still a teacher of young children, I’d be tracing one of those leaves on the cover and cutting out stacks of them in order to inspire all sorts of open-ended art and language art projects.

No matter how hard I drag my feet to slow the circles down, fall is once again here. WONDERFALL is a fun and valuable resource for talking with young people about the changing seasons.

Richie Partington, MLIS

Richie's Pickshttp://richiespicks.pbworks.com

BudNotBuddy@aol.com

https://www.facebook.com/richie.partington

Moderatorhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_school_lit/