OAK

A youngster learns to change with the seasons.

Oak, the littlest leaf girl, lives in a big oak tree in the middle of the forest. She has “soft wings and branchlet bunches in her hair” and a fun-loving personality. Every day, Oak plays with her family and her friend Squirrel, but as the weather changes, the time comes to leave the tree. “All leaves must nestle into their winter acorn homes,” says Mama. Though Oak fears the unknown, Mama Oak reassures her that they’ll return in spring; Papa Oak says, “I trust you to go at your own pace and find the right moment to leap.” Her parents leave for a nearby acorn home, but Oak clings to her tree—and the charming illustrations make it look like a hard place to leave indeed. But autumnal tones shift to a cooler winter palette, and the warm, lighted windows of her family’s acorn house beckon. Oak realizes that it’s her family, not the tree, that brings her happiness. Oak’s resistance to change will resonate with children, but her parents’ gentle explanations and acceptance of the natural cycle guide her to face the inevitable shifting of the seasons. Fear of the unknown is nearly universal; the familiar messages and woodsy setting here offer a cozy way to reframe change as adventure. Oak and her mother are light-skinned; Papa is slightly darker-skinned.

A tale awash in fairy finery that delivers a few lessons in courage.