I'm Afraid, Said the Leaf

This thoughtful work begins with the sun reflected in a great body of water, watched by a pale-skinned child on the shore. A yellow leaf falls. "I'm afraid," it says. A page turn sees a tree reassuring the leaf: "You're not alone." A baby bird in the tree's branches speaks--"I could fall"--to which the wind supplies the promise "I will lift you." The rhythm of call and response continues, with the child serving as witness throughout. Boldly stroked spreads from James (Tadpoles) convey life and power; the emotions that Daniel (Sometimes I Feel Like a River) suggests can be read in the creatures' faces. Part of the story's freshness flows from startling sources of generosity. When a deer notes, "I'm so worried," the grass's "I will comfort you" raises wonderful questions about what the grass is offering: A bed? Food? The companionship of innumerable growing things? At last, the child voices a wish of their own, and again, a generous answer comes from an unexpected place. Every worry is addressed and every need is met in this eloquent portrait of the interconnectedness of the living world. Ages 3-7. Author's agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary. Illustrator's agent: Jackie Kaiser, Westwood Creative Artists. (May)