Book excerpt: Happy and considerate, Louie the Leaf grows up to be the strongest leaf of all the leaves on a beautiful old maple tree. But that's not the only reason Louie is a special leaf. Louie is filled with joy and love of life. He listens, and because he does he has a remarkable understanding of togetherness. Louie is always quick to show love and concern for his family and friends, and he's very good at making friends. While it's often difficult, Louie is able to accept when the things around him change even when he's afraid of what the change will bring. That is, until Louie starts to notice the strange behavior of some of his friends and family. As the seasons change from summer to fall, the air around his maple tree home begins to chill. Louie and the other maple leaves are excited about their change in color, and some of the leaves let go of the old maple tree. Why would they let go? The story of Louie the Leaf helps children learn to notice amazing transformations in nature and recognize how those transformations relate to their own lives. Help your children learn to appreciate the wonders of nature with this remarkable journey of a simple leaf in a magnificent universe.