The perfect leaf by Andrew Plant

Ford St, 2018. ISBN 9781925736007
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Autumn. Perfection. Playing outside. Cooperation. Two girls romp and play in the thick golden autumn leaves spread across the ground under some beautiful large trees. They are in awe at the variety, shapes and colour of the leaves, and Plant cleverly grabs the attention of his audience as they too, will peruse the pages looking at the array of difference amongst the leaves. The girls are searching for the perfect leaf, and shuffle through the many on the forest floor, rejecting them because there is a small blemish, or a hole or spot. But each is still beautiful, full of colour and light, enrapturing the attention of the readers. And the search for the perfect leaf may not result in one being found, but their enthusiasm and imagination makes the perfect leaf a part of their journey as they play in the forest. Full of the joys of autumn, of the beauty of the falling leaves, of playing outside with friends, rugged up against the coming winter chill, this book explores the idea of perfection and its attainment, while extolling the virtues of cooperation with friends.
Children will love the golden hues across each page, and look more closely and the varieties of golds and yellows, browns and white that Plant has used in his illustrations, and will look more closely to find the insects hidden on some of the pages.
Fran Knight