THE YELLOW LEAVES ARE COMING

An exploration of the changing seasons.

Unnamed characters, perhaps siblings, with brown skin and hair, observe their natural surroundings in the rain. Detailed, realistic portraits with blended colors show a gray-hued, autumnal neighborhood, while a striking single yellow leaf floats off a branch. “The yellow leaves are coming, though the last leaf just fell,” but the children “know the leaves will come again.” The rest of the narrative examines all the seasonal changes big and small that occur over the course of a year until the following fall, focusing on sights, sounds, and tactile feelings. “First there is the rain and the chill wind that blows…” The children observe “empty branches” from their patio. Next the siblings watch from their window as their neighborhood is blanketed with snow. They welcome spring as “old leaves float in curb rivers” and “colours begin their mixing.” They’re then seen enjoying scenic moments in summer until gray creeps once more into the corners of the scenery and “the chill wind returns in blasts and bursts,” leading to a scene of the two kids admiring a majestic tree laden with golden leaves once again. The illustrations perfectly match the muted tone of the poetic lines, bringing into focus the tactile experience of the natural world.

Gentle and quiet, a narrative that stimulates the senses.