From his first day of school in the spring, Lance Cottonwood was the best and brightest student.

Lance was a leaf, he excelled in Budding, Wind Resistance, Photosynthesis and passed Pigment Changing with flying colors.

As the final test was coming up – one that all leaves eventually must do, he hesitated. All the other leaves were excited to leave the tree, but he hesitated, watching the other leaves fall to the ground. He wanted to be like his neighbor, Doug Fir, who was an evergreen. Lance was a Cottonwood, and so everyone expected him to fall like all those before him had fallen.

Then his teacher tells him that it’s okay to be afraid, and that she was there to help him, so he shares the things he’s worried about (like falling where a dog did his “business.”) And the students below cheer him on. And while he still wished he could be like Doug Fir, he knew he would never be.

There are wonderful messages in this, and the illustrations are charming and colourful, but I think this is best for very young children, who won’t be old enough to understand what happens to leaves when they … fall. The book doesn’t touch on that side of things, since the leaves that have fallen all are happily congratulating Lance once he joins them, which is where the story ends. Lance’s Progress Report follows the ending, with a gentler message:
Leaves fall from the trees in autumn to help prepare the tree for winter. followed by This was a challenge for Lance, but he did it. A note from his teacher follows, with a message of Lance’s having fears of what he doesn’t know – and how they discussed these fears until he had overcome them.

On one hand, I found this to be a lesson on overcoming your fears, that coming in last is okay, and doesn’t make you a failure. A wonderful, positive message. On the other hand, I am concerned about other allusions some children might take from this.


Pub Date: 1 Aug 2020

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Capstone / Capstone Editions

#TheVeryLastLeaf #NetGalley

Darling Book

This book put a smile on my face as soon as I opened it up. I loved the illustrations. Except for the occasional green, the palate is mostly autumn colors of brown, yellow, and gold. The illustrator was able to imbue the leaves with personality. I particularly loved the puns that started on the first page, though they did not continue for too long as the story got more serious. There's even at least one more for the adults as children may not know what photosynthesis is (“He was a breath of fresh air in Photosynthesis 101.”). At the back of the book, a brief page gives a little more information about the processes that happen to leaves and trees, given in the form of a progress report for Lance Cottonwood, our protagonist. We first see Lance as a young green leaf in spring when he starts going to school. He excels at all the various subjects. However, when autumn arrives, Lance is afraid to fall from the tree and ends up being what the title states, the very last leaf. He requires encouragement from his teacher and shares what he specifically fears. Of course, he eventually does fall, and it wasn't as scary as he thought it would be. This book could be helpful to help a child if he or she is afraid, especially if the feared thing is inevitable. It also teaches a little about plant science and has some new big words for the child to learn, like photosynthesis and deciduous (the latter defined within the story). This book is so visually beautiful and the puns at the beginning are so funny for a kids' book—really, more of them should do this!—that I highly recommend it.

Lance, a leaf on a Cottonwood tree, is a very good student, but he is worried about his final exam which means falling from the tree. He tries to make excuses so he can stay on the tree, but comes to realize that he must be brave and take the leap. This is a very cute story about believing in oneself and facing one's fears. Readers will also learn some information about trees.

Lance Cottonwood is the top student of his class, but even he’s worried about the final exam.

This is an adorable children’s story that covers anxiety due to striving for perfection, and facing one’s fears. It’s an excellent book to get your littles ready and excited for school.

The illustrations are colorful, and I love the characters. Who knew that a leaf could have such a cheeky look to them? Autumn is my favorite season so the soft browns and yellows were a delight to look at.

The Very Last Leaf is due to be released on August 1, 2020. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Capstone, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Great book for teaching your kids to overcome your fear and the emotions involved in it. I highly recommend this book.

This was a cute book for several reasons. The illustrations were wonderful, and we enjoyed them. I liked that Lance Cottonwood was successful at pretty much everything he did. He was often at the top of his class. There were also some science facts shared about leaves and trees that were pretty easy for young children to understand. Then the time comes when Lance is afraid. He is afraid to fall and becomes very anxious. My grandson is very much like Lance, so we talked about what he should do. He agreed that he should talk to other people and get some ideas. He really liked this book and said it would be a good book for the teacher to read to their class when they go back to school next year. He talked about how the other kids all have something they are afraid of, but he didn't say he had anything he was afraid of. This is one, I am going to get for my kids to keep at home. A great story that I recommend for kids that are anxious or afraid of something. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3289420048

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a copy to read and review. This has not impacted my thoughts.


This was such a short, sweet book about working hard, believing in yourself, and knowing when to let go.

I think young kids will not only enjoy the illustrations, but they’ll enjoy learning new words like deciduous and photosynthesis.

And all in all, it shows that trusting yourself, and trusting that your hard work will pay off.

An easy 5/5 stars from me.

The Very Last Leaf by Stef Wade is a beautiful picture book that clearly communicates the functions of a (Cottonwood) leaf. Artwork is simple, but bright and cheerful. A distinction is made between deciduous and evergreen trees. Lance the leaf is very good at all of the "leaf classes" that he takes and passes them with flying colors, that is, until he is scared to let go and fall in the autumn. His teacher, the tree, talks through his fears with him and he is encouraged by his classmates who have already fallen to the ground. Lance's report card from his teacher is shown at the end. Good for K-2nd grade approximately. A sweet way to introduce children to the growth cycle of trees. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Capstone, for an ARC!
#TheVeryLastLeaf #NetGalley

The Very Last Leaf by Stef Wade is an adorable story! The illustrations stood out: each page is art that can stand on its own without the overarching story. The colors are as crisp as fall itself.

Even the typography fluctuates through the story: some words are emphasized with larger fonts and fading colors while the informative text is set straight and narrow.

This story follows Lance Cottonwood, a leaf making his way through the school year who encounters fear for the first time. He learns to overcome this fear with the help of his teacher and learns to be brave.

Thank you, NetGalley, for a copy!

The Very Last Leaf is a cute anthropomorphic story for young children with leaves as characters. Due for release 1st Aug 2020 from Capstone, it's 32 pages and will be available in paperback and hardcover formats.

The story follows young Lance Cottonwood from his first day of school budding in the spring through his final examination performance stress in the autumn. He does very well in all his school subjects but is very fearful and anxious about falling to the ground from the branch where he's grown all year.

The story is engaging and the art is adorable, but there were a few concerns. The other leaves in his class made fun of him for not falling fast enough ("He's a scaredy-leaf", "He's too yellow", etc). I thought the teasing was somewhat inappropriate as well as the passive way their teacher seemed to handle the situation.

There are some useful science facts scattered throughout the text with definitions for concepts (like "deciduous") as they're introduced. This would make a nice reading circle selection or classroom read.

A cute and engaging story for younger kids (circa 5-7 years old). It would also make a nice bedtime or read-to-me story.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

A fun story about a leaf getting ready to fall from a tree. The story was sweet while also being really educational about the process of leaves growing and falling from trees. The artwork was adorable and the overall story was great! I think this would be a great book for kids!

A cottonwood leaf named Lance is an excellent student, excelling at photosynthesis and changing colors, but is afraid to fall to the ground at the end of autumn even though he is deciduous. The straightforward story offers information on tree science and related vocabulary, as well as a message on accepting one’s fears. The book concludes with more information on leaves, written in the form of a report card. The full color artwork is inviting, with leaves containing eyes, mouths, and eyebrows; the artwork resembles watercolors on white backgrounds. Although this is purposeful, it is pleasant and informative and will work well in primary grade units on trees.

The artwork in this was gorgeous. It was a really cute story about a leaf being in the top of his tree classes, but then having difficulties with the very last one. I’m sure some kids with anxiety or being new in school would be able to relate, but even without the connection I enjoyed it. The tree facts were a perfect science level for children and I could see it leading to field trips and leaf collecting.

A solid title for classroom use. Does a practical job of including leaf facts in the narrative. Not exciting, and I was a little concerned about the teasing aspect, I think we are trying to move away from normalizing teasing as a society. But overall, will be good for preschool and primary classrooms.

The Very Last Leaf was a cute, informative picture book not only about the changing of the seasons and types of trees, but also about the anxiety that can be felt by students, and the things we can do to overcome it. The pictures were cute, and the book has an informative page in the back!

A story that presents us with a very different but interesting protagonist in an adventure of knowledge and courage to face new fears as we go through life.
The character teaches us important things about his world and how they face them in their different seasons, and how fear can sometimes deprive us of new adventures, having a guide to talk to and being able to overcome those fears is what this book teaches us, in addition That I feel enlightened gives much more emphasis to dialogue and a beautiful enlightened story that can be the first step in turning a non-reader into a new reader.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the digital copy of the book for honest review.
It was an interesting story about overcoming fear and anxieties. The illustrations were vibrant. The narratives were easy. A enjoyable and helpful book for young readers.

The Very Last Leaf is my favourite picture book of 2020 so far (and I’ve read some fabulous picture books this year!). Stef has blended facts and fiction seamlessly and the humour throughout is excellent. I laughed out loud as Lance blossoms in budding class and breezes through air-resistance lessons. Jennifer’s autumn-coloured illustrations are gorgeous – she conveys so many different emotions in Lance’s leafy-facial expressions!

Making a leaf school where the brightest leaf is afraid of falling (aka failing!) is just pure genius. Behind this fact-packed story is very real and common childhood anxiety. Stef has used a light touch to show readers that talking about worries can help you overcome them.

I adored the clever progress report at the end of the book that explains all of the subjects Lance took and the science behind them which as Stef said in her interview is very useful for us parents to refer to, when discussing the book with children!

This is a picture book that children will want to read again and again, I certainly do! It has a great story whatever time of year, but it will be the perfect read for when autumn sets in and children can spot Lance on the tree, getting ready to take his big leap in the world.

its a really good book for childrens
It has a very beautiful illustrations, the art work has vivid and beautiful colours that suits very well for the story.
The art sequence is maintained well till the end.

I think is a really good book, i get what the story is trying to teach us but i feel a bit weird, i dont know, i just dont get that our main character is a leaf and the main plot is about school and grading, it could be a little confusing for kids cause is the natural process for leafs falling from trees.

however i really enjoy the story, i get the message that is trying to tell abour courage and facing your fears

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book, as well as enjoy it with my children.

Is there anything cuter than this little leaf? I think not. This book tells the story of an adorable little leaf who just doesn't want to leave the tree and fall to the ground like all of his leafy buddies when Autumn comes. What if he fails? What if he can't do it? What if he does it wrong? Children can certainly relate to all of these fears, but feel safe discussing it for the leaf, instead of themselves. I really liked the camaraderie and support of this little guy's community and everyone rallying around him! This book is a success for sure!