A rabbit, a squirrel and a cat sit on three ripe persimmons — the fruit that signals autumn in Japan. The outlines are bold and the shapes are large, which suits preschool groups and early primary classes working on a seasonal theme. Download and print it free; the finished sheets also make a simple autumn wall display.
PDF (line art) and PNG (line art and color sample)
🍊 What is a persimmon?
The persimmon — kaki in Japanese — is an orange autumn fruit that has been grown here for centuries. Broadly it comes in two kinds: sweet varieties that can be eaten straight from the tree, and astringent ones that have to be ripened or dried before they are edible. Dried persimmons, hoshigaki, are still hung in rows under the eaves in country districts in late autumn.
🐿 What do squirrels eat?
Squirrels live mainly on nuts and seeds — acorns and walnuts among them. Many species gather far more in autumn than they can eat at once and bury the surplus in scattered spots, returning to some of those caches through the winter. The ones they never come back to occasionally sprout into new trees.
🎨 Which colors make a page look like autumn?
Autumn scenes rest on warm tones: red, orange, yellow and brown. Orange on the persimmons and a few maple reds around them are usually enough to set the season. Two or three shades of orange on the same piece of fruit is also a gentle way to introduce shading to children who are ready for it.
