We have referred to the book A Leaf Can Be . . . a couple of times on this blog, but I thought I’d spend a little more time on it today. In short, the book is a poetic exploration of the many roles leaves play all throughout the year. The text is by Laura Purdie Salas and the illustrations are by Violeta Dabija.

When Laura first sent me the manuscript, back in July 2009 (!) I was immediately drawn to it because it took a fresh, lyrical approach to a topic that kids typically learn about in early elementary school. After all, Millbrook’s focus is books that approach curricular topics in fun and innovative ways.

Although the official publication date is still a few weeks away, there have already been a number of great blog reviews. What has taken me by surprise is how nicely the book works for Nonfiction Monday, Poetry Friday, and STEM Friday. I think this is the first book I’ve been involved with that fits in all three of these categories! I know that we publishing folk are “supposed” to think in categories, but I first and foremost acquire books because I think they’re special in one way or another—not because they fill a certain slot.

Here are some of the reviews I’ve seen around the blogosphere recently:

A Year of Reading (Poetry Friday)

Simply Science (Nonfiction Monday; with suggested leaf activities)

NC Teacher Stuff (STEM Friday)

Want to know more? Head over to Laura Purdie Salas’s website, where you can learn about the inspiration behind the book and find a book trailer and a reading guide.

By the way, if you’re wondering, “three in one blow” is a reference to the fairy tale “The Brave Little Tailor,” in which a tailor kills seven flies in one blow. No flies were harmed in the creation of this blog post.