2024, JUVENILE FICTION
WISE Score
Lawrence the fox heads into the woods for show-and-tell supplies and learns that getting briefly lost is just a shortcut to finding the coolest leaf in the forest.
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This is a top-tier fall pick. It manages to be a 'quiet' book without being boring, mostly because the stakes—finding the perfect thing for show-and-tell—feel massive to a five-year-old.
The art is the real winner here. It captures that specific golden-hour autumn light that makes you want to put on a sweater and go jump in a pile of leaves. It’s a great antidote to the 'more stuff' culture, showing that the best thing in the classroom might just be a particularly interesting piece of nature.
Perfect for the 3-to-7 crowd. It's simple enough for a bedtime read but has enough narrative 'meat' for a first-grader to engage with the themes of independence.
Models a warm, supportive father-son relationship and handles the anxiety of being lost with a gentle, curious resolution.
Encourages kids to see the 'treasures' in the natural world rather than just focusing on store-bought items.
Zero red flags. Even the moment of being lost is handled with enough visual comfort to keep it from being a trigger for sensitive toddlers.
Builds nature literacy and emotional resilience. It validates the 'show-and-tell' pressure kids feel while offering a low-stakes, high-reward solution.
Most kids' books about school focus on the first day or the 'mean kid' in the back of the class. Lawrence in the Fall zeroes in on a different, very specific anxiety: the pressure to be interesting. Lawrence doesn't have a collection of coins or a fancy toy, and his journey into the forest with his dad is a literal and metaphorical search for his own identity.
The forest isn't just a backdrop; it's the catalyst for Lawrence's growth. When he gets separated from his father, the book doesn't turn into a survival thriller. Instead, it slows down. Lawrence stops looking for 'a thing' and starts actually seeing the forest. This shift is a great lesson in mindfulness for kids (and parents) without ever using the word 'mindfulness.'
Stephan Lomp's illustrations are vibrant and textured. There's a richness to the forest that makes the reader want to reach out and touch the bark. It’s the kind of book that leads directly to a request for a 'nature walk' the moment you close the back cover. If you’re looking to build a seasonal library, this sits right next to the classics.
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