Elementary Secondary Higher Ed Common Reads
0 0
Download high-resolution image Look inside

Once Upon a Tree

Author Dawn Jarocki, Soren Kisiel
Illustrated by Jessica McClure
Look inside
Hardcover
$16.95 US
Parallax Press | Plum Blossom
On sale Oct 31, 2017 | 40 Pages | 9781941529744
Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies

See Additional Formats
This fable of a little leaf looking for his purpose will delight children and their caretakers.

The whirling, swirling adventures of an ordinary little leaf high on a tree, struggling to find its purpose. The leaf watches baby birds break out of their shells and grow until they learn to fly. Caterpillars wrap themselves in silk and emerge as magnificent butterflies. Warm sunny days get shorter and windy chilly nights grow longer. The little leaf is terribly worried that it should be transforming too. It no longer noticed anything other than the thoughts spinning in its head. The leaf held on to the tree with all its might, growing exhausted as increasingly cooler winds blew. Then one day, the leaf noticed it had become a beautiful crimson color. And it became aware that maybe, maybe it was time for the leaf to fly too. The leaf was very tired, so it just let go. As it danced and twirled to the ground in the amber sunlight, the leaf finally learns its own unique purpose.
Dawn Jarocki is a longtime student of Thich Nhat Hanh. She enjoys raising her young son, caring for other children as a nanny and homeschool teacher, and sharing her love of nature and mindfulness with our youngest generations. 

Soren Kisiel is the author of the children's picture book The Night Our Parents Went Out and award-winning playwright and co-author with his wife, comedian Katie Goodman, of the internationally-touring comedy troupe Broad Comedy. Soren is an ordained member of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's Buddhist lineage. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and teenage son.

Jessica McClure grew up in Maryland with a love of animals, art, and the outdoors. A graduate of Pratt Institute, she now lives in Brooklyn where she designs books, including Thich Nhat Hanh's children's book Is Nothing Something?, and works as the creative director for a plush toy company.
Dawn Jarocki View titles by Dawn Jarocki
Soren Kisiel View titles by Soren Kisiel
Jessica McClure View titles by Jessica McClure

About

This fable of a little leaf looking for his purpose will delight children and their caretakers.

The whirling, swirling adventures of an ordinary little leaf high on a tree, struggling to find its purpose. The leaf watches baby birds break out of their shells and grow until they learn to fly. Caterpillars wrap themselves in silk and emerge as magnificent butterflies. Warm sunny days get shorter and windy chilly nights grow longer. The little leaf is terribly worried that it should be transforming too. It no longer noticed anything other than the thoughts spinning in its head. The leaf held on to the tree with all its might, growing exhausted as increasingly cooler winds blew. Then one day, the leaf noticed it had become a beautiful crimson color. And it became aware that maybe, maybe it was time for the leaf to fly too. The leaf was very tired, so it just let go. As it danced and twirled to the ground in the amber sunlight, the leaf finally learns its own unique purpose.

Author

Dawn Jarocki is a longtime student of Thich Nhat Hanh. She enjoys raising her young son, caring for other children as a nanny and homeschool teacher, and sharing her love of nature and mindfulness with our youngest generations. 

Soren Kisiel is the author of the children's picture book The Night Our Parents Went Out and award-winning playwright and co-author with his wife, comedian Katie Goodman, of the internationally-touring comedy troupe Broad Comedy. Soren is an ordained member of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's Buddhist lineage. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and teenage son.

Jessica McClure grew up in Maryland with a love of animals, art, and the outdoors. A graduate of Pratt Institute, she now lives in Brooklyn where she designs books, including Thich Nhat Hanh's children's book Is Nothing Something?, and works as the creative director for a plush toy company.
Dawn Jarocki View titles by Dawn Jarocki
Soren Kisiel View titles by Soren Kisiel
Jessica McClure View titles by Jessica McClure

Additional formats

Other Books by this Author

Related Articles

Books for National Depression Education and Awareness Month
Psychology

Books for National Depression Education and Awareness Month

For National Depression Education and Awareness Month in October, we are sharing a collection of titles that educates and informs on depression, including personal stories from those who have experienced depression and topics that range from causes and symptoms of depression to how to develop coping mechanisms to battle depression.

Read more

Books for National Depression Education and Awareness Month

Psychology
Literature

Horror Titles for the Halloween Season

In celebration of the Halloween season, we are sharing horror books that are aligned with the themes of the holiday: the sometimes unknown and scary creatures and witches. From classic ghost stories and popular novels that are celebrated today, in literature courses and beyond, to contemporary stories about the monsters that hide in the dark, our list

Read more

Horror Titles for the Halloween Season

Literature
History Gender and Sexuality Studies

Books for LGBTQIA+ History Month

For LGBTQIA+ History Month in October, we’re celebrating the shared history of individuals within the community and the importance of the activists who have fought for their rights and the rights of others. We acknowledge the varying and diverse experiences within the LGBTQIA+ community that have shaped history and have led the way for those

Read more

Books for LGBTQIA+ History Month

History Gender and Sexuality Studies
Subscribe

Penguin Random House Higher Education

© 2025 Penguin Random House

Back to Top
0
    • 0
    Wish List (0)