Review by Booklist Review
With a bit of quirky charm, this tale follows young Leo, who has two families, one human, and the other . . . sea lions. The book opens somewhat inauspiciously with baby Leo washed overboard while at sea with his parents, but he's eventually rescued and affectionately raised by sea lions. He notices he's different (apart from his general appearance, he's not great at holding his breath underwater), but he still loves his sea-lion family. Then one day he meets a young girl she says Hi; he says Ark! Ark! which ultimately leads to a happy reunion with his human parents. Of course, he still misses his seal-lion family, but, thanks to a cheerful resolution, it's possible to enjoy being with both after all. The straightforward, brief narrative gets boosted by animated, colorful bold artwork, which boasts a nice balance of droll touches (bare-bottomed Leo frolicking with sea creatures) and poignant ones (the toy seal Leo carries everywhere in the human world). An entertaining story with an underlying message of finding acceptance and family.--Rosenfeld, Shelle Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Leo, just a babe in arms, becomes lost at sea. Cold and alone, the human boy is adopted by sea lions. As he grows, Leo adorably compares his body parts to other marine creatures and realizes that he is different. Though he is happy and loved, he also feels "like an empty shell" at times. One day he meets a new creature, a little girl playing on the beach. He says hello to her with a loud, "ARK! ARK!" He compares his body parts to hers and they match. The girl's surprised parents notice the lost boy. After becoming a media sensation, Leo is reunited with his parents and the family cat. Leo is happy, though adjusting to being a kid on land is difficult. Other kids don't act like sea lions. He misses the ocean and his adoptive family. His parents try to help, but Leo still feels empty. Finally, his parents move to a new home by the sea where Leo can live with both his sea lion family and his human one. Leo's tale is told with limited prose, relying heavily on the digital illustrations to convey the story. Readers will enjoy this method of visual storytelling, as bright colored images and careful use of white space separate elements of the story perfectly. The inclusive cast of human characters have large, round eyes full of cartoon charm which complements the endearing humor. Leo's story will resonate with anyone who has ever felt a bit out of place in the world and will reassure that life will be just fine. VERDICT A fine addition to picture book collections.-Mindy Hiatt, Salt Lake County Library Services © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
After human baby Leo is swept out to sea, he's raised by sea lions that he grows to love. Upon being discovered on shore by another child, Leo is reunited with his birth parents; unfortunately, he misses his sea family. The problem is resolved to everyone's satisfaction--including the reader's. Vogel packs an impressive amount of tenderness into flagrantly cartoonish digital art. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
This lighthearted tale of a child reared by sea lions is completely outlandish yet manages to capably address very real feelings about belonging and identity.Leo, a young, white, blond boy, is pictured flying out of a boat during a storm even before the title page; he's subsequently taken in by a family of sea lions. This looks like kid heavenbodysurfing with sea lion pups, romping in a whale's spout, and sleeping under the starsbut Leo feels and looks "different," until he meets "a creature who looked like him." This creature, a young biracial, brown-skinned girl with hair in two ponytail puffs, really does look like him: They are both human. Once reunited with his human family, Leo is happy again, but as before, something is amiss. He still says "Ark! Ark!" and misses "his other familyand the sea." Not explicitly about transracial adoption or blended families, this is about a child longing to belong, and the simultaneous feelings of happiness and alienation here ring true. Vogel's stylized digital illustrations have an appealingly cartoonish look, with googly eyes on both humans and animals. Humorous scenarios (Leo sitting in a restaurant seafood tank; a sea lion in the bathtub with a gull on its head) visually portray the contrasts Leo feels. The happy ending, when Leo's human family moves to the seaside so people and sea creatures can live together, is perhaps unrealistically optimistic, but this is a story of a child raised by sea lions, after all. Far-fetched but satisfying. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
