Leif's Gift is a charming, if fairly straightforward, narrative about a young boy whose love for (and collection of) plants grows and grows until one day, he finds his room has been completely overtaken by his thriving collection. Even as someone without a green thumb it was clear from the beginning that this story would be going the "plant propagation and sharing with others" route, but that didn't put much of a damper on my appreciation of the book.

Detailed and lush plant illustrations, combined with the specific mention of many different types of plants and some of the ways one cares for them, adds richness and informational content to the basic story.

This would be a great read for families with children who are very interested in plant care or gardening; I could see it being a useful bridge from more general plant stories to nonfiction plant care guides and more informational texts.