A Story of Life for All Ages - The Fall of Freddie the Leaf

This book arrived in emaculate condition and timely. It is a timeless treasure for helping children understand the life cycle and the dying process in a manner that is non frightening. It is a good way to stimulate a conversation with children that are needing to cope with someone or something close to them dying.

Bought this book upon rocommendation from a friend (who had received it when he was a child after his sister passed away) for another friend whose husband had recently passed (they have two young children). I read through it after it arrived and thought it was very poignant, well written, and comforting. It made me cry because it is just so sweet and meaningful. My friend says that she and her children love it too and that they want to read through it with her nearly every night. I will always keep this book in mind for anyone with children experiencing the death of a loved one.

The time span for a leaf is approximately six months. Autumn is the time of year with the trees dressed in their finest array of colors (though I love the Spring pastel colors) -- gold, green, orange, yellow and red. You can consider the spectacular colors represent the people of the world. We all come from the same root of humanity, the tree of life. This the time to prepare for an inward journey and give time to personal reflection. The dance of the beautiful falling leaves teaches us the lesson of uplifting the spirit, as the leaves fall, our own regrets and sadness can fall away from our inner trees.

Do the leaves know how it feels to bid farewell to the warmth of the sun? As they fall, they mingle with the earth to nourish the trees in the woods. Their lives have a purpose, just as our lives do. George Cooper wrote: "Come, little leaves, said the wind one day, come over the meadows with me and play, put on your dresses of red and gold; summer is gone, and the days grow cold." It is finally beginning to look and feel like autumn. And with it comes cooler temperatures and lower humidity which make the nights clear and sharp. November is a great time to study planets in the spectacular night skies. Mars is closer than we've ever experienced it. Mercury and Venus are set for a rare alignment. The ringed-world Saturn rises just before midnight. It's a great time to stargaze. Meteors, sometimes called 'shooting stars,' are Taurids amd Leonids using fireballs, bright meteors which look like flares in the night sky, will put on a great show this year. The meteor showers are a sight to see, especially for the astronomer and his students. Orion will be visible, looking like an hourglass, some time after Mars which starts its show at sunset. Get out and get under the moon for such a starry, starry night.

I often give this book to people who have recently experienced the passing of a family member. I cry every time I read it~ tears of sorrow mixed with the sweet memory of my father and other loved ones lost. very simple yet powerful -- lots of pictures, something you can read to children.

I have given this meaningful book many times. It touched me when a Nurse read this book to a group of people including myself when I had lost my father and others who had recently
lost a loved one. The nurse was from the Visiting Nurses Assoc. in Connecticut . It made me understand the real meaning of life, illness and death and a new life all over again. I recommend this book for people of any ages to understand the true meaning of life.

I will continue to give this wonderful book in the future.

I first read "Freddie the Leaf" over twenty years ago when it was first published and found it a beautiful story about death as part of the inevitable cycle of life. At the time professor Buscaglia was sweeping public television with appearances speaking about love and the value of a simple hug. My wife and I were fortunate enough to get seats to a public lecture by Dr. Buscaglia at Harvard University. He captivated the audience, and at the end of his lecture we joined a long line to get our hug from Leo, who was a big bear of a man, but man or woman, you got a hug. It was a very touching moment with many tearful eyes - yet such a simple thing, a hug.

Over the years, with the death of parents and loved ones, I put "Freddie the Leaf" in the hands of all our children and many others. Most recently our beloved Airedale Tracy was taken from us by a rare immunological disease after she struggled two months for life - much like Freddie the leaf. I found the book and once again it gave me comfort. Thank you Leo. The Two Martini Diet: How I Lost 100+lbs While Eating Well and Having a DrinkThe Two Martini Diet

Leo B. was my mother's favorite psychologist. So, it was a no brainer to get my daughter this book when she died. Though it is a bit advanced for a 2 year old, I'm still glad I got it. My daughter loved the pictures of the leaves and I know we will read this many times as the years go by. As for me, I cried when I read it. It is a beautiful way to explain life, death, and our purpose while avoiding the religious lessons that many of us like to handle differently.

Most definitely a story for all ages. This little book is filled with the lesson of how to live life. I like it so much that I have it displayed on my bookcase. Whenever I feel life overwhelming me, I pick it up and read it all over again and gain a new lesson each time. A book of promise and hope. So inspiring!

This book helped me get through a really tough loss as a 9 year old. I have given it has a gift to each child I know who has lost someone suddenly. It really helped me gain perspective that there is a bigger plan. We are all part of something much bigger.

I purchased this book to donate to the children's department of the local public library in memory of a remarkable 8-month-old baby who passed away without ever coming home from the hospital. Her 2-year-old sister and great-grandmother are frequent visitors to the library and I thought that this book would help the baby's sister better understand where her baby sister had gone. It was perfect for the purpose.

I had ordered this book based on a recommendation for a book that could bring out a little conversation about life and death with a 2 1/2 year old whose Grandpa had just died. To advanced for this age but will keep it for the future.

After some recent "death anxiety" issues, I hit the internet in search of some books/wisdom to help me along. This book, although simple, was truly amazing and I will treasure it always. I highly recommend reading it :) I actually saw a video of this on youtube but had to have the hard copy in hand for times when I may need to refresh my spirit.

Buscaglia intended this book to be a metaphor about dealing with death and loss in somewhat the same way as The Giving Tree. However, the book speaks to me as much about individual purpose and the value of life filled with meaning through service to others. I think the work is deceptively simple and when children read it (or when it is read to them) they see Freddie's vulnerability and can relate. However, adults see a much deeper meaning, how we connect to others in life and that the cycle continues unabated.

In fact, I would argue that this is one of the best books on management and human relations written in my lifetime. It places in perspective all the things we may think but often do not say about the meaning of work and how we touch others.

This is a timeless book and one that should be read at various stages and times of life. Since we're frequently in transition, a re-read could easily keep one grounded and focused on the big picture.