Last week, I checked out a huge stack of books about fall. Most of them have yet to even be cracked open because my daughter chooses the same one every time we sit down to read together. I don't mind one bit. Her new favorite is my new favorite as well.

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves tells the darling story about a fox who is worried when his favorite tree starts to turn brown and lose its leaves. Although his mom reassures him that it's just autumn, Fletcher tries all he can think of to help the tree keep its leaves. In the end, he accepts defeat and goes home worried about his leafless tree only to find it more beautiful than ever the next morning when the winter frost sets in. I actually got chills the first time we read this book as I turned the last page. The illustrations are beautiful, the story is engaging, and it does an excellent job of teaching about the changing seasons.

Using this book to build early literacy skills: Sequencing
One of the key comprehension strategies is summarizing, and a major component of that is retelling the sequence of events in a story. This book has a very simple plot perfect for practicing this skill. You can do this a few different ways.

Draw. Have your child draw a series of pictures to show the main events of the book.

Act. Reenact the story with your child. This is a great story to act out because there are very few characters. Even if it's just the two of you, you'll have plenty of cast members.

Talk. Have your child tell you the story in their own words. Ask probing questions to help him or her recall the main events.

Model. Use playdough or clay to make Fletcher and his tree. Use the models to recreate the story.

What great books are you and your children reading this week?