Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Elhert, travels through the life of a single maple tree.  The story is told through the eyes of a child and describes the stages of a maple tree's growth - from a seedling to blossoming tree.  As the child narrates, the pictures depict the story through thoughtful and descriptive art.  This childhood favorite is richly illustrated and simple, yet informational.

A teacher could use this book to begin a unit on life cycles.  Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf not only illustrates the life cycle of the maple tree, but it describes the seasons as well.  Depending on which grade the lesson is for, a teacher of younger students could make the connection between seasons and growth.  But, a teacher of older students could delve deeper into the life cycle and assign a science project that would challenge the students to pick a plant or animal and describe the various stages their plant or animal passes through.  A good supplementary piece for this project would be the National Geographic series called In the Womb.  These videos show the actual development of various animals in the womb.  Students would then have a good idea of where the life cycle starts for a specific animal.

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf. ISBN: 0-15-266197-2. Lois Ehlert. 1991. Caldecott. Age 4-8. Environmental Non-Fiction.