Lawrence in the Fall

A tender tale about facing your fears and finding your path, illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Doug Salati

When Lawrence Fox's teacher announces that students will be presenting things they collect at show-and-tell, Lawrence panics. All of his classmates have impressive collections: coins, combs, marbles…but Lawrence doesn’t have anything to share.

Luckily, Papa knows where to find something magical: the deep, dark woods. Lawrence is scared at first, but as he grows more comfortable, he starts to recognize the uniqueness of the forest and its creatures. Here, amid the towering trees and their array of colorful leaves, Lawrence just may find a splendid, one-of-a-kind collection of his own.

With gentle storytelling by Matthew Farina and sensitively rendered illustrations by Doug Salati, this heartfelt story celebrates individuality and the power of nature to inspire us.

• "Salati (In a Small Kingdom) builds the visual arc and emotional landscape of the story with soft pencil lines, muted browns and blues, and sensitive characterizations, lingering just enough on anxious moments that Lawrence's newfound confidence feels like a big reward."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
• "Readers will want to head out to discover a collection of their own."—Kirkus Reviews
• "This delightful seasonal story will inspire its young audience to do some leaf collecting of their own."—SLJ