Customer Reviews

The Leaf Men

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a child, did you ever look for hidden treasures in your backyard? Well, this is a story about the magic of backyards and gardens. Two words describe this book--magical and mystical. My son loves this book because it combines his love of insects and superheroes. This is a wonderful story to read aloud to children and seems to really spark their imaginations. The illustrations are imaginative and unique. It is a favorite book at our house!

Nevermind reading this to children: *I* read it. Here is a tale of mytheopic properties -- the Long-Lost Toy, the treasured rosebush grown sickly, the old woman, wound about, and bound to these treasured things of her youth, a precarious lifeline; and here too, those brave little bugs, the Doodle Guild, full of virtue and honour, who would give their very lives for a woman, and think nothing of it; and alas! too, the wicked Spider Queen, "enclosed in her own fat," who would devour her prey, and think not of it, and hath not mercy, nor kindness; and, when all is hopeless: the storm is stilled, the air is grown quiet, and lo! the Leaf Men of old, them whom Memory would forget.

This tale is at once set upon the mind, and there it will stay for quite some time after the book is set down. I highly recomend it.

This is a quirky book, but a fun one. It's a mystical fairy tale with a garden setting (the main characters are bugs) and an Art Deco aesthetic. An old lady falls ill. Her garden falls ill, too, as there is no one to care for it. The garden's bugs rally together. They've heard stories of the magical, mystical Leaf Men who will come to a garden's aid if properly summoned. A proper summons requires a dangerous journey to the tree tops on a moonlit night. The brave doodle bugs go for it. The evil Spider Queen and her goblins try to thwart them. It's good stuff. There is also a sweet, sentimental subplot with an old toy. The book is recommended for the 4-8 year-old crowd, but my 2 1/2 year-old loves it. I had to edit some of the text at first, however, as it is on the long side for toddlers. I also edit the gruesome death of the Spider Queen. The story covers a lot of territory in a short amount of time, so the characters are rather one-dimensional and the story ends up with a few holes. Nevertheless, the story is told so stylishly and the illustrations are so unusual and dramatic that you forgive the short-comings. It's a great book to read when you want a fairy tale but are sick of fairy tales.

I am 45 yrs old and have been reading this and many other Willam Joyce titles to my children. The illustrations are facinating to children and adults alike. This is my favorite Willam Joyce book. I still read it and laugh and cry. Oh those doodle bugs are so brave. There is so much to ponder while reading this book, it will open your imagination to a whole new look at the garden, ageing, and being the smallest one in the class. It will make you feel.

I think this book was awesome. An old woman is sick and her garden grows horribly and so doodle bugs try to climb to the tallest branch of a tree to call the leaf men to fix the garden. A queen spider thinks that no insect can do that. During the doodle bugs` journey the queen and ants attack the doodle bugs, but the doodle bugs call the leaf men and the leaf men save the doodle bugs and the garden. Then the old woman gets better. I recommend this book to anyone.

If it wasn't for the dung bettles the leaf men would not come and if they didn't come the garden would die forever.The leaf men frist saved the rose because it was the most precious flower in the garden if it died every thing else would.So if they didn't find the metal man the Old woman wouldn't have felt better.

William Joyce tries to show you things in his amazing cartoon books like the story The Green Men promotes strength through determination, caring for others and our planet, and an appreciation for life and for those who've gone before. In the story an old lady has a wonderful and helpful garden which helps her find a memory of a life time! It starts out when an old lady gets a sickness and has to leave her garden when she can't get out of bed. A toy speaks to the bugs and tells them were to find help but no one is brave enough to climb the tallest tree at night but a brave troop of Doodle Bugs Take the risky job. When the troop is almost at the top when a nasty spider tries to end their pride so they get loose of the spiders clutches and call on the Green Men. When the Green Men come the garden is saved and a long lost toy is returned! And I really liked this book! It was amazing and full of adventure but it missed one thing. On the adventure parts it kind of missed a peace of adventure and didn't reach that point of satisfaction.... Well anyway I would recommend this book to small children who like fiction heroes and bugs plus maybe I guess saving gardens. And I would recommend this book because this book is really good and it needs to be shared with every little kid who would adore this author and book. I would say this book is good for ages 4-10 because these are still kids who would appreciate fun cartoon books.
By: Stephanie

William Joyce works magic with this woderful book. The story promotes strength through determination, caring for others and our planet, and an appreciation for life and for those who've gone before. It takes place in a magical land that lives right under our noses - the small world of our back gardens - which makes it all the more real for children. There's a deeper, thoughtful aspect of the story that is sentimental in an honest way. My daughters are off to college soon but this book remains a favorite and will stay in our collection. Joyce's holiday fable "Santa Calls" is our favorite Christmas book (with "The Grinch" running a close second).

While an older child might appreciate it somewhat better, my just-turned-4-yr-old loved it. The quality of the book itself is worth more than the price. The paintings and typesetting are beautiful. While the subject matter might be a little dramatic for a wee one, 4 and up will love it. Thank you, William Joyce.

We got this book when my son's Grandma was undergoing chemotherapy, because the old woman in the book got better after her illness. He loves the book for a completely different reason, he loves the 'brave good bugs'. Because of this book, he now understands the concept of bravery at the young age of three. All & all, a truly wonderful book.