This month we continue our spotlight on beautifully written and illustrated Israeli children's books translated into English with The Heart Shaped Leaf, by Shira Geffen and illustrated by David Polonsky.

The story opens with eerily beautiful illustrations of a very rare day in Israel: an overcast sky dotted with yellow leaves; tree branches are bent in the wind, and a cobalt blue school building glows out of the gray. The book's main character Alona makes her way home from school.

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The Heart Shaped Leaf, by Shira Geffen. Illustrated by David Polonsky. Green Bean Press. Green Bean Books