The summer days get a little colder; the leaves turn from green to orange and red. Fall must be on the way, and while you unpack sweaters and scarves, the animals frolic outside in the crisp autumn air beneath a wide blue sky. In Fran Hawk’s Count Down to Fall, watch the falling leaves tumble all around. The vibrant and detailed illustrations of Sherry Neidigh capture the majesty of the maple, the oak, the linden, and more. Critters play in the time of changing seasons, and remind us that the changes of the earth affect us all—animals and humans alike!

Written by Fran Hawk	32 pg, 8.5" x 10", ages 4-8, Lexile: 1070 Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-934359-94-5, $16.95 Paperback ISBN: 978-1-607180-39-5, $8.95
Illustrated by Sherry Neidigh
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“A cheerful rhyming verse on each double-page spread tells more about the season: the trees, the colors, the shapes of the leaves, and the animals in the woods.” – Booklist

“This is a GORGEOUS book. You can go on a fall nature walk without leaving the comfort of your home or classroom when you read this book.” - A Year of Reading

“I've never been knowledgeable about the different types of trees, and this book will allow me to learn about them alongside my children! There is no better way to discover than side-by-side with your child!” - Tif Talks Books

Fran Hawk’s favorite things are children, books, and writing. Writing children’s books is her dream come true, because it combines all three. Fran resides in the Charleston, SC, area, and when the famous Hunley submarine was raised from Charleston harbor, she wrote The Story of the H.L. Hunley and Queenie's Coin. Her next book was called Ten Tips for Raising Readers, in which Fran shares all the best information she had gathered about bringing children and books together. One autumn afternoon, Fran was walking as leaves drifted down all around her. She realized she only knew the names of a few of them, so she got some leaf books from the library and worked on identifying them. Then, she thought it would be interesting to write a children’s book that would make it fun to learn the names of leaves. The result was Count Down to Fall. (Fall 2009).

Sherry Neidigh, a graduate of Ringling School of Art and Design, has been freelance illustrating for over twelve years. Sherry’s love of animals and nature comes through in her bright, colorful art. In addition to illustrating Count Down to Fall and The Best Nest for Sylvan Dell, Sherry has illustrated several trade and education titles including Who Needs That Nose?, If I Had a Tail, and Black and White. Sherry lives in South Carolina. For more information about Sherry, visit her website at http://www.sherryneidigh.com/.