When the Leaf Blew In

When the leaf blows into the barn,
The cow sneezes "Ah choo!"

And when the cow sneezes "Ah choo!"
The spider falls on top of the owl.

With simple, repetitive text and silly, expressive illustrations, children will fall for this hilarious autumn story about the way one leaf turns an entire barnyard upside down!

When the leaf blows into the barn,

The cow sneezes "Ah choo!"

And when the cow sneezes "Ah choo!"

The spider falls on top of the owl.

With simple, repetitive text and silly, expressive illustrations, children will fall for this hilarious autumn story about the way one leaf turns an entire barnyard upside down!

Children's Literature

Young children greatly enjoy stories that contain repetition as it provides an opportunity for them to participate at story time. In this book, a single fall colored leaf blows into a barn and causes a very silly chain reaction among the creatures of the farm, as well as those in a nearby pond. It begins with a cow sneezing as the leaf lands on her nose. This disturbs a spider that then startles an owl that frightens a pig that dives into the mud and so on until an alarmed robin flies into a tree and loosens another leaf that promptly drifts toward the open barn door. The last page shows all the animals facing the incoming leaf, so their reactions are not apparent to the reader. All of the characters varied responses to the chain of events are cleverly portrayed in the amusing illustrations. Children will quickly perceive the fright of the horse, the amusement of the duck, and the anger of the owl. However, this is not enough of a story to require that it be placed on the first purchase list. Reviewer: Sylvia Firth