Leaf

K-Gr 2—After drifting to a faraway forest on an ice floe, a polar bear attempts to fly back home in this debut picture book from British illustrator Dieckmann. The other forest animal residents fear the bear, whom they call Leaf, too much to speak to him. After Leaf's second unsuccessful attempt to make wings from gathered leaves, the animals learn that the bear wants only to get back to his family. Confusingly, the book ends with all the animals—now sympathetic to the bear's plight—agreeing to help Leaf fly home and to spread his story in order that "no polar bear would ever get lost again." There seems to be a muddled message here about both climate change and xenophobia. Luckily, the fanciful illustrations glow on the page and nearly make up for the slight story. The animals are delicately and convincingly rendered, though Leaf is shown with unrealistic blue eyes. The more abstracted, lushly patterned backgrounds are reminiscent of folk art.