{"product_id":"the-last-leaf","title":"The Last Leaf","description":"\u003ch6\u003eComing September 22. Pre-order today!\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/david-biedrzycki\"\u003eDavid Biedrzycki\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cb\u003eIt's soccer season. Yay.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA young soccer player is struggling during the fall season. Balls to the head! Loud parents! Missed shots! She definitely doesn't feel like an MVP. Sometimes she can’t wait to go home. But then she sees one last autumn leaf on a tree, just hanging in there. Can she do the same? \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003e★ “A triumph of graphic storytelling”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eForeword\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these: \u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/artificial-intelligence\"\u003eARTificial Intelligence\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/sumokitty\"\u003eSumoKitty\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/the-last-leaf-spread.jpg?v=1779116185\" alt=\"spread from 'The Last Leaf' with a girl reaching to pick the last leaf clinging to a maple tree\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" class=\"cvr-border-gray\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" async=\"\" defer data-pin-shape=\"round\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"medium-cover\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/the-last-leaf-cover.jpg?v=1779116185\" alt=\"Book cover of 'The Last Leaf' with a child surrounded by colorful leaves and a soccer ball.\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"product-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/the-last-leaf-cover-hires.jpg.zip?v=1779116186\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDavid Biedrzycki, author-illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid Biedrzycki is the author and illustrator of \u003ci\u003eARTificial Intelligence, Invasion of the Unicorns, SumoPuppy, SumoKitty\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eGroundhog's Runaway Shadow\u003c\/i\u003e, as well as the Breaking News series; the Me and My Dragon series; and the Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective series. He has also illustrated many picture books, including \u003ci\u003eThe Beetle Alphabet Book\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eDory Story\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/david-biedrzycki\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout David.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComing soon!\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/star-fade.gif?4673889858015672850\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eForeword\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA triumph in graphic storytelling, this encouraging picture book twines a young soccer player’s frustrations with her wonder over a leaf that seems determined to cling to its branch, long after its neighbors fell away. Going home after practices and games is a relief for the girl, who feels unskilled at the sport, but who loves jumping into big piles of leaves. The persistent leaf becomes a fitting  etaphor for sticking with during one surprising game, though. The illustrations play on contrasts: subdued autumn tones and grays are applied to the girl’s sports-related tribulations; at home, all is aglow in the full spectrum of colors. Also engaging are details as of the loyal cat who accompanies the girl through the season—and of the leaf’s ultimate, glowing release.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003eA child learns lessons from autumn’s last lingering leaf.\u003cbr\u003e\nThe pale-skinned, bespectacled young narrator is enjoying a beautiful fall day…before being decked in the face with a soccer ball. The scene abruptly shifts to the pitch as the child sighs: “I try hard. But I’m not very good.” Back home, the child jumps into a leaf pile in the yard. A final fall leaf clings to a tree branch, and though the protagonist is determined to reach it, the child’s attempts fail. As the leaf clings stubbornly to its limb, the protagonist persists, too, practicing soccer even as the color drains from the once vibrant pages, conveying the youngster’s despair. The leaf hangs on through winter while the protagonist plays indoor soccer, honing skills on the long march to spring. As buds bloom on the tree, the child notices the last leaf is still there and proudly notes, “I am, too!” The illustrations fill with color again, and the youngster remembers the leaf’s lessons: “Hang…in…there!” At last, the child leads the soccer team to victory during a championship game. Biedrzycki’s pencil illustrations are alive with the emotion, energy, and empathy readers will remember from his previous work. The author\/illustrator inserts clever details—the soccer team is the Leafs (in the final scene, the titular phrase applies to both the leaf and the child, who gets the chance to step up at last).\u003cbr\u003e\nJust the thing to plant the seeds of perseverance in young readers. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-62354-695-3\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 4–8\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 40\u003cbr\u003e9 x 11\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublication date: September 22, 2026\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]","brand":"Charlesbridge","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":49994906075373,"sku":"46953","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/the-last-leaf-cover.jpg?v=1779116185","url":"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/the-last-leaf","provider":"Charlesbridge","version":"1.0","type":"link"}