Review: A Beautiful Story and a Mismatched Preview
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 28, 2011
Leafman is a product of fairy magic, which means he will turn back into leaves the moment the sun goes down. What should he do with his one day on Earth? Climb a mountain? Go sailing? Play with chipmunks? Leafman is pondering his options when he hears  a little girl crying, and his entire life changes.I was moved by the poignant twist at the end of "Adventures of Leafman". While it has no illustrations, young children will enjoy being read the story, and older kids may find themselves swept away, too.This file comes with much more than the story, though. It contains a synopsis of the prolific author's works, plus a preview of "Bees in My Butt" which is Book 1 of the Smartboys Club. The Smartboys take pains to hide they're smart (a sad, but all too common, issue) by being smart-alecks. The main character, Monkey, also suffers from a horrible case of flatulence (that would be the bees in his butt.) The beginning of the preview could have been more polished, but this seems like a potentially enjoyable series for smart, underachieving 3rd-5th graders.  The only problem is that the audience for Leafman and Smartboys seem different. Buyer beware.