# Why Do Leaves Change Color in Autumn?
Canonical: https://littlestorybook.ai/learn/en/why-do-leaves-change-color-in-autumn
PDF: https://littlestorybook.ai/api/public/lessons/en/why-do-leaves-change-color-in-autumn/download
Language: en · Ages: 4-5 · Visual lesson (interactive), free

Reviewed for child-safety · gentle by design.

## Quick answer
Your child learns that leaves are green because of a green food-making color, and in autumn the tree stops making green so the yellows and oranges hiding underneath finally show — the cold did not paint them.

## The lesson text
Why Do Leaves Change Color in Autumn? Mila crunches down the path. Wait — the whole park turned gold and orange! Yesterday it was green. 'Who painted all the trees?' she wonders. All summer, the leaves are green. That is because they are full of green food-color, making yummy food from sunshine — like tiny green kitchens. But now the days grow short and cool. The tree is getting ready to rest for winter. So it slowly stops making the green. The green begins to fade, like a curtain sliding open. Look at this leaf — half green, half not. When the green slides all the way away, what color do you think will be left? Orange and yellow! They were hiding under the green the whole time. The green goes, the gold shows! And the bright reds? The tree makes those fresh in autumn, like a little goodbye gift. Mila leaps into a crunchy leaf pile. The green goes, the gold shows!

## Lesson scenes
### 1. The Park Turned Gold
Mila crunches down the path. Wait — the whole park turned gold and orange! Yesterday it was green. 'Who painted all the trees?' she wonders.
Image: https://littlestorybook.ai/media/storyboards/story_e7b6997375b04529bacf52f0123a2371/scene-01.jpg (Mila crunches down the path. Wait — the whole park turned gold and orange! Yesterday it was green. 'Who painted all the trees?' she wonders.)

### 2. Little Green Kitchens
All summer, the leaves are green. That is because they are full of green food-color, making yummy food from sunshine — like tiny green kitchens.
Image: https://littlestorybook.ai/media/storyboards/story_e7b6997375b04529bacf52f0123a2371/scene-02.jpg (All summer, the leaves are green. That is because they are full of green food-color, making yummy food from sunshine — like tiny green kitch)
Interaction: Why are summer leaves green?

### 3. Getting Ready to Rest
But now the days grow short and cool. The tree is getting ready to rest for winter. So it slowly stops making the green. The green begins to fade, like a curtain sliding open.
Image: https://littlestorybook.ai/media/storyboards/story_e7b6997375b04529bacf52f0123a2371/scene-03.jpg (But now the days grow short and cool. The tree is getting ready to rest for winter. So it slowly stops making the green. The green begins to)
Interaction: In autumn, the tree stops making green.

### 4. Half Green, Half Not
Look at this leaf — half green, half not. When the green slides all the way away, what color do you think will be left?
Image: https://littlestorybook.ai/media/storyboards/story_e7b6997375b04529bacf52f0123a2371/scene-04.jpg (Look at this leaf — half green, half not. When the green slides all the way away, what color do you think will be left?)
Interaction: When the green goes, what will show?

### 5. Hiding All Along
Orange and yellow! They were hiding under the green the whole time. The green goes, the gold shows!
Image: https://littlestorybook.ai/media/storyboards/story_e7b6997375b04529bacf52f0123a2371/scene-05.jpg (Orange and yellow! They were hiding under the green the whole time. The green goes, the gold shows!)
Interaction: The orange was hiding under the green.

### 6. A Crunchy Leaf Pile
And the bright reds? The tree makes those fresh in autumn, like a little goodbye gift. Mila leaps into a crunchy leaf pile. The green goes, the gold shows!
Image: https://littlestorybook.ai/media/storyboards/story_e7b6997375b04529bacf52f0123a2371/scene-06.jpg (And the bright reds? The tree makes those fresh in autumn, like a little goodbye gift. Mila leaps into a crunchy leaf pile. The green goes,)

## Recap questions
- Q: Why are summer leaves green?
- Q: When the green goes away, what shows?

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Read/play the illustrated version: https://littlestorybook.ai/learn/en/why-do-leaves-change-color-in-autumn
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