Inspired by a real boy with a real passion

Meet Leo

He’s fascinated by landscaping crews, their trucks, trailers, equipment, and tools. He can spot the difference between a zero-turn mower and a riding mower in seconds. He collects lawn care flyers, studies equipment catalogs for fun, and dreams up landscaping jobs in the backyard.

Most kids pretend to be superheroes.

Leo pretends to run a landscaping company.

His joy for landscaping is impossible to miss. It inspires other kids everywhere he goes, and it sparked a pivotal question for his mom: “Where are the children’s books about this?”

After searching bookstores and libraries without much luck, Leo’s mom decided to write the story herself.

The result is Leo the Landscaper — a series inspired by the real wonder, excitement, and pride that children find in everyday jobs that adults often overlook.

Because for some kids, a lawn mower is just as magical as a fire truck.

And every big helper deserves a story to inspire them.

A young boy with blond hair smiling and holding a leaf blower in a yard with a playhouse in the background. The playhouse is made of wood with a small circular window and a chalkboard sign that reads "Leo's Landscaping" and features drawings of a shovel, gloves, and a lawnmower. There are toys and gardening tools scattered around.
A young boy with blonde hair and wearing rainbow sunglasses, a blue T-shirt, and yellow shorts, smiling and standing on a yellow Cub Cadet ride-on lawn mower in an outdoor store parking lot.
A young boy with blonde hair smiling while sitting on a green toy car outdoors, wearing a blue jacket and brown boots, with a background of trees and a grassy field.
A smiling young boy with blonde hair lying on a bed, hugging a Nerf blaster toy.
A man and a boy standing outdoors on grass, both smiling and posing with gardening equipment, with trees and a fence in the background on a sunny day.
A young boy with blonde hair, wearing a yellow striped shirt and brown pants, is trimming a green plant with white flowers in a raised garden bed.
A young boy with blonde hair wearing a green shirt and blue crocs raking fallen autumn leaves into a green wheelbarrow in a backyard with trees, houses, and a blue sky in the background.
A young boy raking fallen leaves on the side of a suburban street during autumn, wearing a green shirt, dark pants, and tan boots.
A man and a young boy smiling outdoors on a fall day. The boy is holding a toy chainsaw and the man is holding a leaf blower. There are fallen leaves on the ground and trees with autumn foliage in the background.

About the author

Ellen Freifeld

Ellen Freifeld is a writer, award-winning multimedia executive producer, and mom of two based in Pennsylvania.

When her son Leo became fascinated with lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and landscaping crews, she searched for books that reflected his interests. She found plenty of stories about trucks, construction, gardening, and farming—but almost none about landscaping.

So she collected landscaping product catalogues and B2B magazines to read to Leo. She improvised bedtime stories of landscaping crews every night. One day, she realized the best story was happening in her backyard all along.

Leo the Landscaper is Ellen’s love letter to the children who find wonder in everyday work, and to the families who spend time together getting the job done.

A woman with blonde hair and fair skin, smiling and looking directly at the camera, wearing a patterned blouse and seated against a plain white background.

Contact the Crew

Interested in signing events, speaking engagements, or bulk orders?

We can’t wait to bring the joy of Leo the Landscaper to you.