I love fall!
Call it autumn, fall, or just plain beautiful, this season makes me want to run outside and jump into a pile of leaves.
One of my favorite picture books about fall is Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, by Julia Rawlinson, with pictures by Tiphanie Beeke.
Fletcher, a young fox, worries when the leaves on his favorite tree change color. Is the tree sick?
Here's how the story starts:
The world was changing. Each morning, when Fletcher bounded out of the den, everything seemed just a little bit different. The rich green of the forest was turning to a dusty gold, and the soft, swishing sound of summer was fading to a crinkly whisper. Fletcher's favorite tree looked dull, dry, and brown.
Fletcher was beginning to get worried.
Gorgeous writing!
Julia Rawlinson took a risk by starting a story with description. Don't some of us skip over that part of a story? But her description is so detailed, she paints a picture of Fletcher's world.
Notice the alliteration--the soft, swishing sound of summer. She contrasts that with--dull, dry, and brown.
Try writing your own description about fall.
Describe one leaf that you find on the sidewalk. Or start a story with your character catching leaves as they dance through the air.
Go outside and smell the crisp air. Each neighborhood has different scents in the fall. Write down yours, from the wood smoke rising from a chimney, to the rotting stick on the side of the road.
Happy fall. Happy descriptions. And check out Fletcher and the Falling Leaves to find out what happens to Fletcher's tree.
