Lean on Me

I’m Afraid, Said the Leaf – written by Danielle Daniel, illustrated by Matt James
Tundra Books, 2024

This is a picture book about children feeling afraid, and finding support in the natural world.  Animals and plants, even when they are not figuratively anthropomorphic, have implied human qualities, so the book is also about welcoming help from those around us.  The text is poetic, the pictures deep and resonant.  I’m Afraid, Said the Leaf is direct in its appeal to children, and also stunning visually. 

Everyone experiences difficult emotions and sensations, including hunger, fear, boredom, and sadness. There are different ways of engaging children in confronting those states.  Danielle Daniel and Matt James present a child and the natural world, unmediated by discussion or plot.  A horse is cold; the sun offers him warmth. A squirrel is hungry, until a nut offers to feed her. The ubiquitous problem of worry finds a solution when tall blades of grass surround an anxious deer, enclosing the animal in a protective environment.

Some of the pictures include both the child and an animal, who share the comfort of a solicitous natural element. A thirsty skunk is offered a drink by a stream, while the child crouches over the water. He may be taking a drink, but also seeing his reflection, in a kind of reverse allusion to the myth of Narcissus. Instead of being consumed by his own reflection, he is sharing happiness with other creatures. What child has not complained of boredom? Here, a mushroom with expressive eyes finds simple pleasure in playing with a mouse.

James’ illustrations were created with acrylic paint on Masonite.  The book’s paper is thick and glossy, and the colors appear as rich as paintings in a gallery.  The use of background space and the careful composition of figures contribute to the sense that each picture is an individual work of art. The child smiles intently at a butterfly, which appears to be part of the human face as it covers one eye. Sleepy, the child rests his feet on a wolf, transformed from a predator to a pillow. A bear suffering from the heat is shown in profile without facial features. When he bathes in a creek, his eyes open and his claws emerge from the water.  It’s easy to imagine sharing this book with a child by both talking about the message and interacting with the physical beauty of its images.

“Close your eyes,/said the moon” closes the story, and the child follows those instructions.  Resting on his hair are dark silhouettes of animals, resembling the ancient beauty of cave paintings.  I’m Afraid, Said the Leaf will offer new connections to the natural and human worlds each time you read it with a fortunate child.