Wonderfall is a beautiful book about the various events that happen in the fall, including the beginning of the school year, Halloween, Thanksgiving and more. Author Michael Hall starts the top of each page with a word related to fall, tactfully adding “fall” to the end of the word (Beautifall, Thankfall), followed by a description of how it relates to the season. The story follows woodland animals, children and grown-ups as they experience the autumn season through parades, trick-or-treating and jumping in the leaves, among other fun seasonal experiences.
Hall’s bold digital illustrations combine acrylic paint with soft pastels, which may remind readers of the works of Eric Carle. The pages burst with the lush hues of fall, including bright green, burnt orange, red, yellow and stunning blue. The text is both minimal and large on each page, lending itself to beginning readers who are learning to sound out the words. Pre-readers will also enjoy pointing out the beautiful leaves, squirrels, acorns and other fall elements as they turn the pages. Parents will enjoy using this as a great transition between seasons. Bonus material at the book’s end includes a learning guide, which gives facts about the various animals in the story.
