Clifford and Cleo promise T-Bone they'll watch over his big leaf pile until he has a chance to jump in it himself. But then they are naughty and need to come clean because honesty is the best policy.

Simple and blah.

This reader was adapted by Josephine Page from the television script "Leaf of Absence" by Scott Guy for the Clifford the Big Red Dog PBS Kids animated series, Season 14, Episode 7, September 21, 2000. ( )

clifford and his friends make a pile of leaves. unfortunately when clifford jumps he looses all the leaves. they spend the rest of the day collect all the leaves they lost. finally clifford and his friends are able to jump into a nice pile of leaves.
1 book

I liked the book “The Big Leaf Pile”. I liked this book because of the plot. In the beginning everyone makes a leaf pile and then T-Bone has to go home. T-Bone then asks Clifford to watch his leaves so Clifford does. Clifford and Cleo end up jumping in T-Bone’s leaves and have to go get them all across town. They eventually find all of them. The plot is very organized and shows the conflict about Clifford and Cleo losing all the leaves and having to find them. I also like how this story pushes the reader. This book explains to a child that it is good to be truthful. It is pushing the reader to be a truthful person, not one who lies. It shows that when a person tells the truth good consequences can come from it. The big message of this story is to be truthful. Clifford and Cleo were truthful to T-Bone about jumping in his leaf pile when he was not there, and because of that T-Bone allows them to jump in his leaf pile first. ( )

Summary: Clifford, Cleo and T-Bone are making leaf piles to jump into. Cleo finishes hers first, then Clifford. T-Bone's pile is much to small and only has brown, crunchy leaves, but none of the bright colors Cleo and Clifford had. Clifford and Cleo help T-Bone make a big, beautiful pile, but T-Bone must leave for his walk before he can jump in it. Clifford and Cleo jump in T-Bone's leaves while he is gone and the wind scatters the leaves. Clifford and Cleo chase down every single leaf, and more! When T-Bone returns he has an even bigger pile of leaves and all three friends jump in it together.

Personal Reaction: I thought this was a fun book for the students. Currently being fall, many students are looking forward to making and jumping into leaf piles of their own.

Classroom Extension Ideas:
1. Students could experiment with leaves in different stages to see what sounds they make when crumbled in their hands.
2. Group discussion with the students about how to tell a friend when you have misplaced something of theirs. ( )