The leaf thief

Squirrel is reveling in fall's delightful colors when he realizes one of the leaves on his tree is missing. There is a leaf thief afoot! Alarmed, he runs to his friend Bird's with the news, but Bird calmly reassures Squirrel that no one has stolen anything. As more leaves disappear, Squirrel grows more upset and paranoid: "Mouse? Mouse! Did you steal my leaf?" "Excuse me! Woodpecker! Are those my leaves?" Slater's digital illustrations capitalize on the story's inherent humor, presenting the wide-eyed, twitchy protagonist scurrying about the woods and trying to relax in his nest (at Bird's suggestion) by soaking in a walnut-shell bathtub and doing yoga. When another day brings yet a new round of panic, Bird--at the edge of his patience--explains to Squirrel that it is only the wind that's whisking the leaves away: "This happens every year in the autumn. Every year!" Finally understanding that he's not been robbed, Squirrel is able to (momentarily) find some peace. Kids will adore this silly addition to the fall book pile, so be prepared for repeated reads.

A confused squirrel overreacts to the falling autumn leaves. Relaxing on a tree branch, Squirrel admires the red, gold, and orange leaves. Suddenly Squirrel screams, "One of my leaves is…MISSING!" Searching for the leaf, Squirrel tells Bird, "Someone stole my leaf!" Spying Mouse sailing in a leaf boat, Squirrel asks if Mouse stole the leaf. Mouse calmly replies in the negative. Bird reminds Squirrel it's "perfectly normal to lose a leaf or two at this time of year." Next morning Squirrel panics again, shrieking, "MORE LEAVES HAVE BEEN STOLEN!" Noticing Woodpecker arranging colorful leaves, Squirrel queries, "Are those my leaves?" Woodpecker tells Squirrel, "No." Again, Bird assures Squirrel that no one's taking the leaves and that the same thing happened last year, then encourages Squirrel to relax. Too wired to relax despite some yoga and a bath, the next day Squirrel cries "DISASTER" at the sight of bare branches. Frantic now, Squirrel becomes suspicious upon discovering Bird decorating with multicolored leaves. Is Bird the culprit? In response, Bird shows Squirrel the real Leaf Thief: the wind. Squirrel's wildly dramatic, misguided, and hyperpossessive reaction to a routine seasonal event becomes a rib-tickling farce through clever use of varying type sizes and weights emphasizing his absurd verbal pronouncements as well as exaggerated, comic facial expressions and body language. Bold colors, arresting perspectives, and intense close-ups enhance Squirrel's histrionics. Endnotes explain the science behind the phenomenon. A hilarious autumnal comedy of errors. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.