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CollectionAges 3–6Picture Books

The Leaf Thief

A universe by Alice Hemming

A funny seasonal picture-book series about a panicky squirrel learning where leaves, flowers, snow and sunshine go.

  • Series

    1
  • Books

    4
  • Best for

    3–6
  • Status

    Complete

At a glance

Primary creator
Alice Hemming
First book
The Leaf Thief · 2021
Tone
Funny, Warm, Silly, Gentle
Overall sensitivity
Low

The shape of it

The shape of this universe.

The Leaf Thief is Alice Hemming and Nicola Slater's funny seasonal picture-book franchise about a very dramatic squirrel who repeatedly misunderstands ordinary changes in nature. Across leaves, flowers, snow and sun, Squirrel panics, accuses others and needs Bird to help him understand what is really happening. The series is bright, accessible and genuinely useful: it teaches seasonal change and simple natural processes through comedy, anxiety and reassurance rather than through a dry facts format.

A funny seasonal picture-book series about a panicky squirrel learning where leaves, flowers, snow and sunshine go.

Primary themes

Tone palette

  • Funny
  • Warm
  • Silly
  • Gentle

The series

One way in.

Cultural footprint

A shelf of evidence.

What The Leaf Thief has done

  • Bestseller list

Cultural ubiquity

3/ 5

Well-known to people who know the room.

Sensitivity

Low, and collection-wide.

LowCollection-wide

Across the collection

All 4 books.

About the creator

Alice Hemming.

Alice Hemming

Author

Alice Hemming: British author of the Squirrel Thief picture-book series (The Leaf Thief, The Sun Thief, with Nicola Slater on art) — gentle, clever introductions to seasonal change for ages 3–6.

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