- Picture Books
- Ages 3–6
- Comedy
The Sun Thief
Book 4 of 4 in The Leaf ThiefView the full series
The sun has gone. Every evening it disappears and Squirrel wants to know who's responsible. Bird has information about the Earth's rotation. The fourth and final season book completes the set, same formula, summer palette, total commitment to the joke.
- Best for3–6
- FormatPicture
- Length32 pp
- Read aloud~6 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
- Repetitive
- Onomatopoeic
Tone
- Warm
- Funny
- Silly
- Gentle
- Whimsical
- Cosy
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
It's summer, and the sun is magnificent, right up until the moment it vanishes. Every night. Squirrel has noticed this pattern and finds it deeply suspicious. Bird, equipped with the facts about day and night, rotation and orbit, attempts once again to provide the scientific explanation. Squirrel is not ready to accept this. The Sun Thief completes the seasonal quartet with the series' signature comedy engine running exactly as it should: the premise is new (the sun sets, returns, sets again), the characters are unchanged (Squirrel panics, Bird explains patiently), and the educational content, day and night, why the sun seems to disappear, the basics of astronomy, is delivered through pure comedy. Nicola Slater's summer illustrations bring warmth and vivid colour that makes the book feel distinct from its siblings despite the identical structure. The fourth book in a series that could, in theory, go on through every natural phenomenon Squirrel hasn't understood yet.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 3–6
- Read aloud · 2–6
- Independent · 5–7
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Read aloud performance
- Seasonal book
- Nature education
- Summer book
- Series completer
Avoid if
No common reasons to avoid this one — a rare clean sweep on the sensitivity flags.
Particularly good for children who are…
- Anxiety and worry
- Interested in science
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A funny, gentle read-aloud about the changing seasons and a squirrel's worries — a lovely companion for autumn and seasons topics.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific delight is the disappearing sun — Squirrel noticing it vanishes every single night, certain something must be going on, Bird patiently explaining rotation and orbit while Squirrel stays suspicious. The Leaf Thief summer-and-astronomy completion of the seasonal quartet.
- Animal companions
- Friendship and belonging
- Trickery and cleverness
Why parents love it
The fourth Leaf Thief — series engine still working perfectly, summer palette warm and vivid, day-and-night science delivered through Squirrel's denial. Completes the seasonal set. Same formula, still funny.
- Shared humour
- Bedtime appropriate
- Quick to read
- Beautiful illustrations
In the series
The Leaf Thief.
4 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Where you’ll find it
On these reading lists.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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