June 2024, Fremantle Press
About A Leaf Called Great
Bear is all alone until he finds the greenest, most beguiling leaf he has ever seen. A leaf called Greaf.
Bear holds Greaf tight throughout the days and nights that follow. Bear can barely remember a time before Greaf. It is as if things have always been this way. Until one day, they aren’t. Greaf changes with the seasons, and so does Bear. As Greaf leaves him, Bear feels a lightness and warmth that he had almost forgotten. Greaf has gone, but Bear knows its memory will hold a special place in his heart forever.
Praise for A Leaf Called Great
This gentle book is a story of loneliness, grief and loss, but also of the rediscovery of life and lightness. Of course, it is also one of hope. The soft illustrations convey Bear’s emotions and are a beautiful work of art.
A Leaf Called Greaf shows us that what is gone is not, as it will always be in your heart.
Good Reading Magazine
⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
As beautiful and understated as the text is, it’s Canby’s artwork that left me both tearing up and smiling as I made my way through this book. From the simple, huggable, emotive drawings of Bear to the deeply evocative background colours that speak of isolation, struggle and gentle acceptance, the illustrations summon up a lot of feelings. Again, this would be something to talk about with a young reader – how do the pictures make them feel, and how do they think Bear is feeling?
The strongest direct connection to loss in A Leaf Called Greaf however, and one of the most powerful visual elements in the book, are the almost unseen outlines of three other bears that walk through the pages with Bear. Who they are, and what they mean in the story, might be something else to gently discuss with young readers. Their lingering presence, and the love that connects them to Bear, is something that feels very powerful.
This is a book that will touch different readers in different ways, and it speaks to adults who have known grief as well as children who are facing grieving with all the mess of complicated emotions it can bring. In the end, A Leaf Called Greaf reminds us, too, that love is never far away.
Reading Time
Canby’s immaculate, kid-friendly illustrations offer a sense of warmth from one page to the next. Each artwork encapsulates the book’s captivating storyline, perfect for bedtime with the little ones.
Better Reading
From the opening line – In the shadow of a tree that felt larger than life itself sat Bear, all alone – Canby captures the way grief can feel overwhelming and isolating. Throughout the book, Bear’s feelings ebb and flow demonstrating the way feelings of grief evolve with time.
The gorgeous illustrations complement the story perfectly. The pale silhouettes of other bears delicately provide a focus for Bear’s feelings of loss and stir emotions in a way that is meaningful but not too confronting for young readers.
Susanne Merritt
This book introduces younger children to the concept of grief, as the season changes in the story, initiating the change in Greaf and his eventual demise. They will empathise with the story of Bear and Greaf, and recognise that although Greaf has gone, he is remembered.
The illustrations are amazing, swirls of colour cross each page giving impressions of forest and hills, of the cold wind and warmth of the sun. Pages will provoke interest in readers as they recognise different ways of representing the forests, the seasons, the flora and fauna around the bear. And the intriguing way in which Canby draws the bear on each page will promote thought and lots of discussion.
Read Plus
This beautiful picture book made me cry – it is such a perfect depiction of grief, in its many forms, accessible for young children but also sure to touch adult hearts, as it did mine.
Sally Murphy
kellycanby.com 