I was one of those kids who grew up afraid of everything. I especially had a hard time with change. Change meant that scary things could be around every corner, and I wasn’t good with dealing with conflict and the unknown.
Author Angie Marie Carlson has written a children’s book that taps into those scaredy cats like me who have trouble diving into the unknown called When Leaf Let Go. Below is my review of When Leaf Let Go followed by an interview with Carlson about her book and writing process. Then, enter to win two copies via the Rafflecopter form below!
When Leaf Let Go plot summary
Leaf lives on an oak named Tree which is positioned near a children’s bus stop. There is a lot to observe from her position on the branch, such as watching the birds eat, and lots to do, such as sunbathing and watching the sun set in the evenings.
One day, when a severe storm kicks up, Leaf becomes afraid of the heavy winds and the pelleting hail. As her friends fly away, Leaf clings onto her branch for dear life, terrified of where she will land in the world. Finally, with the encouragement of Tree, Leaf allows the wind to carry her away. Did she make the right choice, and, if so, where will she land?
The story
When Leaf Let Go is a gentle yet action-packed picture book that comments on the scary yet sometimes necessary need for change. Change is especially prevalent in childhood as we grow up and constantly find ourselves in new environments with new milestones to hit and no world experience to assure us of what we’ll find on the other side.
In this story, nature is anthropomorphic with friendly faces painted onto living things that don’t usually have any face at all. The only humans in the book are the children at the bus stop who Leaf watches from far above in Tree.
Each page contains a sentence or two to compliment each spread. There’s no rhyme scheme which frees the author up for some creative wordplay and more meaningful dialogue between the characters.
I especially love the line “Hail began falling from the sky like darts!” It shows young readers how to use similes to help explain what’s going on in a story.
With the storm comes an intense tone that contrasts the friendly, gentle atmosphere of the first half of the book. Leaf was perfectly content and happy, and this storm comes without warning or explanation. Why leave a good situation?
But that’s life. Leaf has to let go because it’s time. She has turned orange, and her stalk is no longer secure on the branch. She has to move on, and that’s scary, even though her environment is no longer what it once was.
The characters
Leaf is a friendly, likable character. She has expressive eyes with big eyelashes and rosy cheeks that are really the only physical traits that separate her from the other leaves.
Tree has a gentle wisdom and acceptance that encourages Leaf to take her leap of faith. Despite the fact that the leaves are leaving, he seems perfectly content throughout the storm, providing the reader with reassurance that everything is going to be okay.
The other leaves are also more accepting of their fate, and they are going on this journey with her, making it seem less scary. I also love how it’s the friendly face of the wind that finally eases Leaf’s reservations and releases that tension that the storm has kicked up.
The illustrations
The illustrations by Csongor Veres are very warm and simple yet detailed and colorful. Each illustration covers the entire spread across two pages and leaves enough space to insert the text on different parts of the page.
I especially like the expressions on the characters’ faces. They remind me of old Saturday morning cartoons or characters that you would find on a cereal box. They are timeless and kid friendly and help to tell the story in a really engaging and effective way.
My recommendation
I recommend When Leaf Let Go to readers from the late toddler stage to early reader. A new reader could easily make their way through the book with some help while the simple and focused storytelling can keep a younger reader’s attention, and it helps to tell a very encouraging and important life lesson without being too scary or preachy.
There are also questions at the end to help relate the story to the reader’s own experience. I always liked these discussion questions at the end of the book because it helped me better grasp the concept of the story and see it for the author’s intended purpose without it actually spelling out the story for me.
We get a sense of where Leaf ends up, and the story points to a new beginning in a new environment in which Leaf is a part of her world and not just a spectator. That’s something I think we could all use a lesson about as we navigate our way from our own personal trees and into the world below.
My rating
Enter the giveaway!
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An interview with Angie Marie Carlson
What was the most challenging part of writing When Leaf Let Go? The most fun?
Word count (about 500 words to be exact) was the biggest challenge! When Leaf Let Go was originally written as an introduction to an adult fiction story that revisited childhood trauma experiences and their effect on the adults we become.
As an introduction, it served as a fable that foreshadowed life’s unexpected storms and the belief that we can overcome them. I tend to write quite poetically in my prose, so reducing the word count to be appropriate for a children’s picture book was akin to sacrificing my own creativity, but in the end, it was very worth it! We were able to convey the emotions through the illustrations quite nicely, and by far, the most fun part was seeing the story come to life through Csgonor Veres’ whimsical and vibrantly colorful illustrations.
Are there any favorite stories that inspired this book?
As part of our kids’ bedtime routine, we used to read a stack of storybooks each night. Most nights, they wanted the same books, over and over.
I set out to create a story like that… one that kids would want to hear again and again while they ride the wave of emotions from suspense to the peaceful outcome. Two of my favorite books to read to my kids were Whale Gets Stuck and Room on a Broom based on the problem to solve or journey to travel with the support of your friends.
How many drafts did you go through before the story was published? Did you use any outside resources to help you through the actual writing process?
The story went through at least 4 major drafts with a jillion mini tweaks flip flopping word order or swapping adjectives. I used the Journey to KidLit critique service which was instrumental in curving the story to focus on Leaf the main character verses the greater situation at hand. The feedback of the critique was amazing — very detailed, supportive, and precise about what to improve.
Can you talk a little bit about your company, LIVE to LEARN? Do you have any quick tips for marketing a picture book?
LIVE to LEARN kicked off in 2022 as an online course and group coaching program for women to discuss and heal unresolved trauma that may be affecting their current lives via stress, anxiety, and patterns they hold. In late 2023, I pivoted the mission to promoting (and eventually publishing) indie children’s books that support holistic wellness through storytelling. The idea was to go right to the source of unresolved trauma and teach kids how to release difficult experiences and emotions as they grow, resulting in better-healed grown-ups and healthier generations of kids to come.
Do you have a favorite page?
Wow, this is a great question. I think the pivotal moment occurs on pages 19-20. Leaf had just witnessed her friend being struck by hail, knocked off the branch, and sailing into the Wind. Leaf was frightened, peering down at her own stalk ripping.
“Holding on was tearing her apart.”
Sometimes, it feels safest to cling to how things were and not face the change in front of us. This was the moment she realized she was out of options, her life was changing, and there was something to learn from it. You can feel her trepidation despite Tree encouraging her to not be afraid.
The illustrations are very warm and colorful. Did you have any direction for the illustrator, Csongor Veres?
Yes! I made a PPT where each slide was a spread with illustration notes and the proposed story copy for each set of pages. He went beyond my own imagination of the scenes and brought in such beautiful detail, especially the bus stop scene with the birds, and in the end, when Leaf is deciding where to land and taking in all her options.
Who would your dream audiobook narrator for this story be?
Given that Tree is such a warm and comforting presence, I can hear the book being read by a deep-voiced calming male who’s also been on a trauma healing and self-love journey — Zachary Levi (Radical Love, Go Love Yourself) would be a perfect fit.
For incorporating the essence of the main character, Leaf, a strong female working on her healing, Stephanie Foo (What My Bones Know) would be my top choice. Either narrator would be amazing!
What’s next for you?
The sequel to When Leaf Let Go is called Leaf’s Big Bloom, and it’s in the works for a Spring 2026 release, brought to life by Csongor Veres Illustration again. I also have a middle grade book in the works — it’s a combination of speculative and historical fiction, tentatively called The Missing Page of the Magna Carta.
You can always find me writing Children’s Book Spotlights at livetolearnbooks.com and you might even see a podcast rise from that work as well!
Author links
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LIVE to LEARN Books
Author Angie Carlson
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