Why didn't the animals want to be friends with the bear when he arrived? Do people behave the same way, do you think? How can we make newcomers feel welcome? Leaf spends his days, alone in his dark cave. The animals are afraid of him and run away when they see him, they don’t talk to him but they talk about him.

When a polar bear arrives unexpectedly in the woods, the animals fear and avoid him, suspecting him to be dangerous - and his habit of collecting leaves only adds to their distrust. Then one day, they watch as he attempts to fly over the water with wings made of colorful leaves...just trying to go home. Washed in by the tide, a polar bear arrives on the shores of a northern forest and settles in an abandoned cave. He fails, of course, but at last the others listen to his tale of separation, misery and loneliness. Play ‘Find my Voice’ by tapping a child’s shoulder to hear their character’s thoughts and feelings. On a given signal, bring your freezeframes to life, allowing children to move, speak and show what happens next.A beautifully illustrated story with several great discussion points: loneliness, misunderstanding and fear, bullying, global warming, and environmental protection.”

Double spread 9 – How has the illustrator shown the movement of the water? What do you think has happened to the bear? Why do you think he has jumped from the cliff? Explain what the crows are thinking and feeling. Can you summarise what has happened in the story up to this point? This is a beautifully illustrated book, full of vibrant colours and simple, yet emotive language. It would be perfect for initiating discussion relating to global warming, displacement, exclusion, family and journeys. Unexpected plot development, character development, a moral that all humans would do well to learn from. And all of this not just beautifully illustrated but told with such delicacy. One look at the stunning endpaper with the bookplate -- "This book belongs to:" and I'm impressed. Germany has such a tradition of brilliant illustrations, and I've never seen this before in a children's storybook. Seems like my eyes and mind and heart will be in good hands. Look at Henri Rousseau’s piece of artwork called ‘Surprised!’ How is the artwork in this story similar to this painting? How is it different? Can you recreate Rousseau’s painting using oil pastels?The book also touches on the environmental changes going on right now; there is, after all, a polar bear appearing in a temperate climate forest. There's a stranger in the forest and everyone is worried. Can empathy and insight overcome difference and prejudice? The animals who live nearby are frightened of the stranger. They call him Leaf, because of his habit of collecting plants, but nobody is brave enough to speak to him – until the bear makes a pair of leafy wings and tries to fly. What could the animals have done to change things?Discuss possibilities and/or roleplay different outcomes.

This tale of acceptance gently highlighting the plight of polar bears in today's changing climate had me enraptured from start to finish. Ask children to use their voices to explore sounds that could be made by water, wind and birds, then choose their favourite to add to a communal soundscape. Conduct your orchestra, using signals to raise and lower the volume. Talk about what you’ve done and how it felt to take part. What can the bear hear in this picture, do you think?Collect words to describe everything in this image: water, sky, feathers; flying, falling, splashing, swimming; how it feels to be a crow or bear. Set up whole-class wordbanks and use to tell stories about the bear falling in the water.