The crows saw him first, drifting toward the shore one moonlit night on a raft of rapidly melting ice. He took shelter in the old empty cave that the other animals steered clear of, and the whispers started soon after. He looked so different from the other animals, and even from the lush and colorful land around them, this great white bear. And he acted so strangely, wandering the forest every day and collecting leaves. The other animals called him Leaf, not because of his odd habit, because they wanted him to LEAVE. Too loud, too different – the other animals were so sure he didn’t belong, and felt threatened by his presence. But as the crows argue for compassion, Leaf does something entirely unexpected that just may encourage the animals to consider changing their point of view. Double spread 3 – What does the verb ‘stomping’ suggest about how the bear is feeling? Why are the animals scared? Why do you think the bear might be collecting leaves? Find two adjectives that describe the leaves. The word ‘flee’ is closest in meaning to….? Are the animals wrong to flee from the bear? Find out as much as you can about polar bears (and other animals living in the Arctic.)Why is the ice important to polar bears? What happens if the ice breaks up, or melts? Should we be worried about polar bers and their environment? Who is trying to help? Can we do anything? What does this mean? How might this quote link in with the story? Can fairy tales tell us anything about real life? Is everything you are taught true? Have you ever learnt anything from a fairy tale?

Pool what you know about the Arctic, collecting questions on a large sheet of paper to act as a prompt for later research. How can you find answers to your questions? Introduce a selection of books and online resources that you can explore later to learn more. The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own. Washed in by the tide, a polar bear arrives on the shores of a northern forest and settles in an abandoned cave.

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Stories about animals behaving like people can help children explore difficult emotions by creating distance and allowing them to be objective. Try to write your own cinquain poem based on this book. A cinquain is a non-rhyming poem with five lines. Each line has a set number of syllables: Invite children to explore what happens when ice cubes float in water. How long does it take the icecubes to melt? Why doesn't Leaf's iceberg melt on its way to the forest, do you think? When a polar bear arrives unexpectedly in the woods, the animals fear and avoid him, suspecting him to be dangerous - and his habit of collecting leaves only adds to their distrust. Then one day, they watch as he attempts to fly over the water with wings made of colorful leaves...just trying to go home.

What a beautiful sequence of story and visuals as the other animals are deciding whether or not to care, whether or not to help. Why not try using a ‘double bubble map’ (Hyerle) to compare and contrast this story with ‘Journey’ by Francesca Sanna or ‘Beegu’ by Alexis Deacon? How are the stories similar? How are they different? What themes do they share in common? Which did you prefer and why? Put the names of the stories in the central two bubbles. In the circles that link to both central bubbles, note the similarities between the stories. The circles that link to only one central bubble are for you to record the differences between the stories. Discuss what you can see in the picture and the questions it raises. What can Leaf see, hear, feel, smell and taste as he falls into the water? Explore the impact of global warming on the environment, animals and habitats around the world. Hold a class debate – should we change and mend our ways to reduce the effects of global warming or continue as we are?But every child is different, so feel free to adapt our activities to suit their interests and abilities! Eventually, the other animals of the wildwood learn that Leaf just wants to go home. An icy place which is melting, which is how he ended up drifting so far away and ending up in the wild wood. Set in the wild wood, the animals who call this rugged land their home are surprised and a little wary when a new animal arrives. He is big, white, and has lots of teeth. But stranger still is his habit of collecting leaves. So they name him Leaf. But as the animals watch Leaf they finally become brave enough to ask him his story. Double spread 9 – How has the illustrator shown the movement of the water? What do you think has happened to the bear? Why do you think he has jumped from the cliff? Explain what the crows are thinking and feeling. Can you summarise what has happened in the story up to this point? Create a map of the places mentioned and depicted in the story – the wild woods, the lake, the sea, the cave, the polar bear’s original home. Perhaps you could refer to the compass points to direct a partner around your map?