The Wondrous Autobiography of Leaf, Erik's Son — Judy Link Cuddehe

"The Wondrous Autobiography of Leaf, Erik's Son," is a beautifully illustrated story narrated by the central character, Leaf (Erik the Red Maple's Son). Leaf tells his story in the manner of a comforting lullaby, taking the reader on a wondrous journey from his father's roots, through the seasons, and finally to his own place in the world apart from his father. Younger children will enjoy this tender adventure story that introduces the concepts of science, time and cycles (minutes, days, weeks, months, seasons and years). Older children and adults will appreciate the deeper philosophical aspects of the story, as Leaf introduces larger topics such as purpose, usefulness, community, the cycles of life, service and acceptance. The book contains ten pages packed with non-fiction back matter (essentially a second book) called "Back Matter for your Gray Matter." It is an engaging tool for integrated learning, which cleverly connects Leaf's story with branches of history, language (Norse and English), science (photosynthesis), geography and math into a strong, deep-rooted knowledge tree. This generation-spanning book will quickly become a favorite in your family library.