Stef Wade used to write about cardboard boxes, but thinks writing books is far more exciting. She was the co-creator and writer for the former cooking and home blog Haute Apple Pie. Stef holds a BA in advertising from Marquette University and an MBA in Integrated Marketing Communication from DePaul University. Stef is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She currently resides in the greater Milwaukee area with her husband and three boys. As a child, Jennifer Davison was always drawing, imagining, and creating. She began her career as a digital artist in an animation studio in Belfast, working on a variety of projects for children's TV. Jennifer's passion for illustration led her to pursue a career as a freelance illustrator, working on a number of children's books including A Very Noisy Christmas, A Very Happy Easter, and The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Jennifer lives in Northern Ireland and works in her little studio, surrounded by children's books, toys, and numerous hot cups of tea.
How do leaves know when to fall? Lance Cottonwood is the sharpest
leaf in school. He aces all his courses, including Budding, Wind
Resistance, Photosynthesis 101, and Pigment Changing. The autumn
semester brings anxiety, though. How will he pass the final exam
and float effortlessly from his tree to the ground as he's supposed
to? Lance has a big problem for a leaf: He's afraid of falling. He
makes excuses for not doing it, then determines to emulate an
evergreen cluster and remain tree-bound all winter. After a kindly
teacher helps him overcome his fears, he decides to just do it.
With encouragement from teacher and schoolmates, Lance lets go and
lands on the ground safely. This jaunty, endearing autumn story
might help anxious youngsters confront their own apprehension at
facing worrisome experiences. Even though Lance literally lets go,
he doesn't let go of his fears but rather understands and accepts
them--and performs the scary activity anyway, feeling proud of
himself afterward. Besides reassuring readers, the tale provides
some facts about trees. Autumn-colored display type, sometimes
capitalized, appears throughout to express Lance's and other
characters' dialogue. The charming illustrations depict
sweet-faced, expressive, heart-shaped Lance and fellow leaves
rendered in fall colors. A fact-based "progress report" for Lance
appears on the final page. A reassuring story that should leave
readers feeling a bit more self-confident. (Picture book. 4-7)--
"Kirkus Reviews"
Lance the cottonwood leaf is a phenomenal student who excels at
everything--budding, wind resistance, photosynthesis, and pigment
changing. He is always at the top of his class. However, Lance
begins to worry as his final exam in falling off the tree in autumn
approaches. He is afraid of landing in unwelcoming places and hangs
on until he is the very last leaf. Lance's teacher and classmates
reassure him and, nervously, Lance eventually takes the leap. A
confidence-boosting picture book for early childhood and elementary
students, this illustrates that even the most confident and
seemingly successful people have vulnerabilities. Lance learns to
be comfortable with his authentic self and lets go of his fears and
insecurities--his schooling has prepared him for this. Lance and
the other leaves are large and prominent in the warm gold, green,
and brown autumnal scenes, personifying all of the angst and
bravado of the elementary school scene. VERDICT A great choice for
addressing social emotional development in the areas of anxiety and
perfectionism, and as a bonus, scientific facts about Lanceleaf
-Cottonwoods are included.--Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal
Sch., Middleton, DE "School Library Journal"
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