WHEN AUTUMN FALLS

Lots of things are falling in this salute to autumn. As school begins, the leaves change color and begin to fall to the ground; warm clothes come out as the temperature falls; apples fall from the trees; seeds fall from sunflowers; children fall into piles of leaves. And let’s not forget that other harbinger of autumn—football players fall into the end zone. Footsteps fall on crispy leaves, sunlight falls through bare branches, and raindrops fall, finally denuding the trees. The text is meant to be rhyming, but falls far short of being rhythmic or lyrical, and seems to lose steam toward the end. Collaged illustrations in the rich, warm colors of autumn add depth and texture to the scenes depicted. Racial and physical diversity are well-represented, and small, almost-hidden details will keep the interest of the youngest of listeners. Not the best of the autumn-themed crop, but not the worst, either. Elementary teachers could use this as a springboard to a discussion on the many different meanings of the same word. (Picture book. 3-6)