Life Cycle

About The Last Leaf

Have you ever wondered how a child processes sadness and loneliness after the loss of a loved one? Are there fears and anxieties they never before considered? Do they start questioning their own mortality?

Initially, The Last Leaf was written as a cathartic exercise after Deborah’s father passed away, with whom she shared an incredible bond. Through a series of small changes, it evolved into the type of story that most could identify with, in the days following their own personal losses.

While everybody works through their emotions and experiences differently, The Last Leaf was written to help guide and support both child and adult. Great attention was given to the words and lush illustrations on each page to create a comforting space for a grieving child to have a first-time conversation.

The Last Leaf is a gently told story about the circle of life, as explained through the four seasonal changes and narrated from the perspective of one leaf on a tree. The author chose not to include words such as death or dying, leaving it up to the child to formulate their own thoughts and words of how this life-altering event was affecting them. Its open-ended approach provides a solid foundation for that first conversation.