You’re Going to Fall From the Tree.

Leif and the Fall
Written by Allison Sweet Grant and Adam Grant & Illustrated by Merrilee Liddiard
Age Level: 4-8 Years
Published September 8, 2020

I wish I was more creative. 

Leif is a leaf. And he’s worried about how he’s doomed to fall in the Fall. The other leaves on the oak tree roll their eyes and tell Leif to deal with it, “All leaves fall in the fall!” they say. His friend Laurel is sympathetic and supportive, suggesting that they come up with a way for Leif to catch himself. And it’s in the duo’s subsequent series of failed attempts, bad ideas, and moments of self-doubt that you will discover the surprising depth of this seasonal read.

This book is co-authored by Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist whose TED Talk on “Originals” has been viewed over 15 million times. “Originals” are the creative thinkers whose bold ideas - and the hard work that goes into making them a reality - change industries, transform behaviors, and shape the world. A key characteristic of originals is their ability to embrace failure, “The greatest originals are the ones who fail the most, because they’re the ones who try the most. You need a lot of bad ideas in order to get a few good ones.”

“Leif tries everything he can think of. But none of his ideas quite work, and they all end up tossed to the ground below.”

As Leif and Laurel work tirelessly to build a net, a kite, a parachute, and a trampoline, all of which are deemed useless and cast down to the ground below, you see them clearly as the unique class of entrepreneurs Grant calls originals. Time runs out before they conjure up the perfect invention. But when that last strong, cold breeze blows through, you’ll be as thrilled as I was to show your child that Leif ultimately lands, softly and easily, on the cushioned pile of all his bad ideas.

Leif and Laurel are delightfully endearing and they make this book utterly charming even if you don’t dig beneath the surface for the underlying metaphor. But their creativity and persistence, their commitment to their goal and ability to push past naysayers and failures, make this a valuable story to share with your budding original.