Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages Book

Freddie the leaf grows to maturity on the branch of a tree, surrounded by his fellow leaves, and guided in wisdom by Daniel, the largest and oldest leaf of all. He experiences Spring, Summer and Fall, with all of their beauty and majesty. When Winter comes, and it is time for him to fall, to die, Freddie is frightened, and refuses to let go of his branch. Even Daniel's wise words cannot help him then, and eventually he is the last leaf on the tree, stubbornly clinging to life. But one day he does fall, seeing the splendor of his arboreal home for the first time, and going on (although he does not know it) to help create more life...

We had The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages in my childhood home, and I read it countless times as a girl, finding it terrifying, mysterious, beautiful, and ultimately reassuring. Although it is secular, and addresses the topic of death through an entirely natural lens, it has a spiritual feeling to it, and would be appropriate for people of many different beliefs, I feel. First published in 1982, it has become a minor classic, in the field of bibliotherapy for young people. It is illustrated with photographs of trees and leaves throughout the seasons - an illustrative style more popular in the 1970s and 80s, than it is today - and is fairly text-heavy, so I wouldn't recommend it for very young children. I couldn't say whether this was the perfect book to use explore the idea of death with specific children, but I do know that I found it very meaningful when I was a child myself, and recommend that adults seeking such titles take a look, and decide whether it suits the child reader/listener in their lives.