The Little Leaf by Jairo Penaranda, illustrated by Ryan Loghry Ages 3-5 28 pages Inkwater Press June 2010 Paperback     Deciduous, a little leaf, has been holding onto a branch for a long time. He is determined to stay in his tree until Christmas Day, which he has been anticipating ever since he heard a group of children talking about it beneath the maple tree. But to hold onto his branch and his wish, Deciduous will have to endure more than the chilly wind of Old Man Winter. He will be teased by the older leaves as they hear of his plan, and loneliness will set in when his friends fall to the ground. Easter turns into Halloween, and life around the tree is quieter. Deciduous is sad to see the children and birds leave, but he remains hopeful that Christmas is days away. As the snow begins to fall, Deciduous hears carolers. He knows Christmas has arrived. With his eyes closed, he floats towards his friends and listens to the music coming from below. Although Deciduous is hard to identify on some of the pages, and a couple of the sentences are awkwardly constructed (Deciduous could not wait to see Christmas, he told his friend Conifer), this picture book has beautiful illustrations of the changing seasons and an encouraging story about holding onto your wishes. Jairo Penaranda is a former NFL player, coach, and high school teacher. He lives in Vancouver, Washington. Ryan Loghry is an illustrator and freelance artist. He lives in Yacolt, Washington.     web reviews   Tanya Boudreau/2011 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)