Rafa and the Wrong Legs - Angie Lucas - ★★★★.¾

AUTHOR: Angie Lucas

ILLUSTRATOR: Ana Sanfelippo

GENRE: Children's Picture Book

PUBLICATION DATE: September 24, 2024

RATING: 4.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: A picture book with a cute story and an important message. Plot, message, illustrations – this book gets most things spot on!

Plot Preview:

Now that little Rafa is too big to sit in the shopping cart, Mama asks him to walk next to the cart and not wander away while they are in the supermarket. Being a good boy, Rafa listens to her and sticks close by her legs. But when a berry rolls away from its counter and Rafa rushes to pick it up, he ends up grabbing another pair of legs on his return. Where did Mama and her legs go? How will Rafa find her in this huge store?

Don’t you just love it when picture books combine entertainment and education in one adorable package?

The cover and the title warmed my heart as soon as I saw this book. Reading the blurb brought back a long-forgotten memory of how, when I was about 5 or 6, I had walked out of church holding the hand of another lady, assuming her to be my mom. (I don’t recollect what led to the confusion; perhaps they were wearing similar sarees!) Luckily for me, my parents were right behind, waiting for the bulb of realisation to light up over my head. They had a hearty laugh over the incident, but I was quite mortified. As such, I could really empathise with Rafa, because at that age and height, all you can see is a wave of adult legs around you! 😅

The plotline is simple and effective. I like how the book doesn’t show Rafa to be a naughty kid who didn’t follow instructions and thus ended up lost. It goes to show that anyone can be in a similar situation, and being careful is not something meant only for mischievous children.

The setting being a supermarket leads to a bonus advantage. There are loads of vegetables and fruits in the graphics, which can lead to interactive learning opportunities.

The vocabulary level is suitably mixed. The sentences, written in simple prose, are concise and precise. At times, the lines contain tougher words, but there is always an illustration that can help adults explain the word to little readers. Moreover, there is ample use of alliteration and onomatopoeia – two of my favourite figures of speech in children’s picture books.

The illustrations are outstanding. The cover art gives you a great idea of the inside graphics. Bright pastels in various colours make for a nice contrast against the white backdrop. The humans come in realistically diverse sizes and colours, and of course, varying bottom-wear fashions, further confusing our pint-sized protagonist. Rafa is sketched appropriately small, so all he can see at his eye-level are legs – loved how realistic this was! There seems to be another child in the background who has also “lost” her mommy. Keep an eye out for her because the two kids’ arcs merge at the end.

My only complaint about the illustrations is that a pair of legs that had tattoos is described as “too scary”. One of the tattoos was that of a skull, so it could be that Rafa found the skull scary, but as this isn’t openly specified, kids might draw a different conclusion. Perhaps parents/caregivers could point out to children that tattoos by themselves don’t indicate a scary person.

The book ends with a special section: “Lost & Found’ Strategies for grownups to share with children. This is written not as tips but in a Q&A format with discussion pointers – much more effective.

All in all, this was one awesome book, delivering on almost every aspect. Heartily recommended to littlies aged 3-8. The content, with its multiple opportunities for learning and discussion, would be perfect at homes as well as classrooms.

My thanks to Marble Press for providing the DRC of “Rafa and the Wrong Legs” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.