A child’s asthma attack prevents them from playing outside with their cousins. How else can they make fall fun?

The child in this story wants nothing more than to play make-believe in fall leaf piles with their cousins, pretending to be a flock of birds! But instead of flying away like a bird, the child has an asthma attack and needs to go inside for a puff of medication from their inhaler. “It’s the leaf pollen,” Mama explains, but that doesn’t make spending all afternoon inside any less boring. A breathing exercise and visualization help their symptoms, but it’s still no fun to play alone. With a sparkle of imagination and a dash of creativity, the child comes up with a way to be included in fall play time.

This sensitive story from debut children’s book author Margaret Kingsbury is illustrated by four-time Governor General’s Literary award nominee Josée Bisaillon. An author’s note speaks to the millions of children with asthma and gives Margaret’s personal connection to the story.

Key Text Features

Illustrations

author’s note

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1

With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3

With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.4

Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.6

With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7

With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.1

Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2

Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3

Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4

Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7

Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.