SWEET! Looks like the cover of a book or poster encouraging kids to read.
Funny you say that since the first thing I thought of was The Chronicles of Narnia or the Harry Potter Books - in a bookstore window, a poster of this shot with some slogan encouraging kids to read with suggested titles.
I really like this crop. It puts him right in the scene and keeps him the focus. His expression, pose, apparent mood are perfect for the scene and the composition from this crop seems stronger than the others. This has a lot of emotive force not present in the others. You can feel his presence in the scene and image one similar for yourself to be in. Very strong in my opinion. Very nice photo Laurie! Well done!
A nice portrait, composed well. The only distraction for me are the leaves at right, partially blocking his face. Nicely taken though; the book seems to be acting as a reflector, adding a subtle glow to his face. Very serene scene.