One Leaf, Two Leaves, Count with Me!

In a counting book that doubles as an introduction to the seasons, a boy counts the leaves on the tree outside his home. In the spring, leaves keep appearing (“Five leaves, six leaves/ way up high./ Seven leaves,/ eight leaves/ touch the sky”). By summer, there are too many leaves to count, but as the “air grows chilly,” the leaves change color and fall, bringing the count back down to zero. In addition to highlighting how the tree changes, McFarland’s grainy mixed-media graphics reveal a revolving assortment of animals, including a steadfast squirrel that appears in each scene. Micklos’s punchy rhymes and McFarland’s bold artwork create a breezy counting tale that encourages readers to observe subtle changes in the world around them. Ages 1–3. [em]Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Anne Moore Armstrong, Bright Group. (Sept.) [/em]