Strawberry Story: Freddie the Leaf

Break out the Kleenex- let's talk about The Fall of Freddy the Leaf by Leo Buscalgia

Mom had this book in her "Death and Dying" arsenal for counseling.  It's an an outstanding tool to teach and talk to children about those tough topics.  I actually got to meet Leo Buscalgia as a child and hear him read it.

A few years ago I took a graduate seminar in Curriculum Construction and Design at University of Kentucky.  We incorporated the book into our final presentation answering "What does it mean to be human?"  I completely broke down during the final performance...it's like I had blinders on up until that moment and didn't realize how much the book would affect me.

Here's a short excerpt:

"What's happening?" they asked each other in whispers.
"It's what happens in Fall," Daniel told them. "It's the time for leaves to change their home. Some people call it to die."
"Will we all die?" Freddie asked.
"Yes," Daniel answered. "Everything dies. No matter how big or small, how weak or strong. We first do our job. We experience the sun and the moon, the wind and the rain. We learn to dance and to laugh. Then we die."

You can find a full copy of the text on the Achieving Balance website.