LAST LEAF FIRST SNOWFLAKE TO FALL

Winter is near at hand. Two Native Americans (parent and child?) take to the deep north woods to experience the bridging of the seasons. Their route is random, allowing them to chance upon special places, untouched and very old. The angular, melancholy light of late autumn brings the natural world into sharp relief before all is softened by the first snowfall. Yerxa's ode to transformation is spare and philosophical, which makes reaching the target audience of five to eight a challenge, although certainly not insurmountable. Even the illustrations, impressive paper collages of deeply saturated color, supported by small and delicate watercolors, have a measure of abstraction that early readers might find perplexing. Thanks, then, to the voyagers. Surrounded by ghostly trees and wintry innuendos, their familiarity anchors this world of flux—a touch of continuity threading its way through the mysteries of nature, taking out much of the sting. A soothing and lyrical work. (Picture book. 5-8)