Leaf

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Why didn't the animals want to be friends with the bear when he arrived? Do people behave the same way, do you think? How can we make newcomers feel welcome? Pool what you know about the Arctic, collecting questions on a large sheet of paper to act as a prompt for later research. How can you find answers to your questions? Introduce a selection of books and online resources that you can explore later to learn more. Discuss what you can see in the picture and the questions it raises. What can Leaf see, hear, feel, smell and taste as he falls into the water? Play ‘Find my Voice’ by tapping a child’s shoulder to hear their character’s thoughts and feelings. On a given signal, bring your freezeframes to life, allowing children to move, speak and show what happens next.

Talk about the ice covering the Arctic and Antarctic regions, and the icebergs floating in the sea. Collect words to describe ice and snow, and how it feels to be very cold. What animals and other creatures live in these icy regions? A beautiful debut from Flying Eye […] the intricate images, filled with polychromatic leaf-patterns and dynamic stillness, are too good to miss.” This fantasy text revolves the personification of animals. One day, a new animal that the other animals have never seen before moves to the forest, arriving on a sheet of ice. They refer to him the entire book as “the creature” and “the beast.” The animals begin calling him “leaf” because of the weird habit that he has of always eating leaves and because they want him to “leave.” They argue about different ways to get him to leave the forest, but they can not come to a consensus. Eventually, they agree that because he looks so sad and lonely, they will listen to his story. This act changes their entire outlook towards the “creature.”Her first book as author and illustrator LEAF was published by Flying Eye Books in June 2017. In 2018 it was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal, long listed for the Klaus Flugge Prize and short listed for the Waterstones Children's book prize. Her next picture book is expected to be out in the summer of 2018.

Sandra is represented internationally by Millie Van Grutten at the Caroline Sheldon Literary agency in London, UK. Double spread 9 – How has the illustrator shown the movement of the water? What do you think has happened to the bear? Why do you think he has jumped from the cliff? Explain what the crows are thinking and feeling. Can you summarise what has happened in the story up to this point? Fill a large bowl with water. Look closely at the surface. How does it move when you blow on it? Agitate the water to make little waves. How do they move? Make small splashes and notice how the water behaves. What does it sound like? Recreate using your voice and/or percussion instruments. Look closely at the plants on the book cover - use magnifiers! – and talk about the shapes and colours you can see Working in small groups, decide who will roleplay the bear and who will be the other animals. Create freezeframes showing the animals ignoring the bear. How will you use your body to show how your character feels?Try to write your own cinquain poem based on this book. A cinquain is a non-rhyming poem with five lines. Each line has a set number of syllables: Write a non-chronological report about a polar bear. Can you include reference to its appearance, habitat, diet and adaptations? Invite children to explore what happens when ice cubes float in water. How long does it take the icecubes to melt? Why doesn't Leaf's iceberg melt on its way to the forest, do you think?

You know a book has you hooked when your heart is in your throat and you are really, really hoping it doesn't have a sad ending. At its heart Leaf has a number of simple but key messages to draw out - reaching out to outsiders, loneliness, and protecting the environment. Leaf collects leaves to make wings so that he can fly home to his family from whom he was separated because of the melting ice. And that's all it says. There is no lecturing or overt nagging, just a simple message conveyed through the eyes of a lonely polar bear. It provokes key discussion and questions about why the ice has melted, how Leaf might have become separated from his family, what the animals did to help, and what else could be done to help. How do his emotions change throughout the story? Recreate the bear's postures, gestures and body language from other spreads in the book and find words to describe him at each stage. Is it helpful to understand how other people feel? Why? What happens if you don't understand their feelings? Leaf is a pleasure to read aloud. There not too many words to detract from the images and emphasis and call outs are added to make this a simple but very powerful book.

Girls Who Draw Masquerade exhibition :: Leeds, Sep/Nov 2013Mythical Creatures :: Here Gallery, Bristol UK, Feb 2013 Now ask children to write about the moment shown in the picture. Encourage them to involve their readers by using vivid words, descriptions and ideas. Leaf spends his days, alone in his dark cave. The animals are afraid of him and run away when they see him, they don’t talk to him but they talk about him. What could the animals have done to change things?Discuss possibilities and/or roleplay different outcomes. Look at Henri Rousseau’s piece of artwork called ‘Surprised!’ How is the artwork in this story similar to this painting? How is it different? Can you recreate Rousseau’s painting using oil pastels?

When a polar bear arrives unexpectedly in the woods, the animals fear and avoid him, suspecting him to be dangerous - and his habit of collecting leaves only adds to their distrust. Then one day, they watch as he attempts to fly over the water with wings made of colorful leaves...just trying to go home. He fails, of course, but at last the others listen to his tale of separation, misery and loneliness. Explore the impact of global warming on the environment, animals and habitats around the world. Hold a class debate – should we change and mend our ways to reduce the effects of global warming or continue as we are?

I genuinely can't stop thinking of the utterly vibrant illustrations in here. Like, I tried to close my eyes after reading and all I could see were the lively colors springing up in my mind over and over. Here's a handful of examples of said occurrence: Leaf is created using an array of mixed media. I worked in pencil, pen, watercolour and gouache as well as ink. After I paint and draw all my elements the spreads were composed in Photoshop and cleaned up there. I really enjoy working in this collage way as it allows my maximum freedom and it's easy to make changes to colour and composition any time. What shape is the globe? Why? Where are the oceans, and where is the land? Where do you live? Can you name the continents? The oceans? What’s at the northern tip of our world, and who lives there? There's a stranger in the forest and everyone is worried. Can empathy and insight overcome difference and prejudice?