Customer Reviews

Leo the Late Bloomer

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Since 1971 the delightful story of Leo the tiger, and proverbial late bloomer, has been charming children and adults. The story of Leo is the story of many a child. He does not speak, or eat nicely. He does not draw or do anything particularly well. This comes as a bit of a concern to Leo's pop, but him mother reassures him that in time Leo will "bloom". The story in and of itself could be made or broken by the illustrations. Put into the wrong hands, this story could easily have been drawn in a syrupy ooey-gooey mentality. There is a definite danger of cutesiness. Illustrator Jose Aruego, however, never allows this to happen. You've not seen such a sad little tiger cub as Leo. In beautiful scenes of subtlety and oomph, Leo's environment, friends, and parents are rendered in interesting and unique ways. The colors are lovely and evocative. And the emotions of the characters are perfect. Every stripe on Leo's body is an undulating shade of purple. Aruego has advanced watercolor to the next level, creating a book that is (no doubt about it) art. If you like art, or watercolors, or cute tiger cubs, then you won't want to miss out on this sweet little number, "Leo the Late Bloomer".

What better way to explain to a child that it's OK to be different? Leo the Late Bloomer is a classic of American children's stories with brilliant illustrations that bring the tale to life. Leo the young tiger doesn't lead a "normal" child's life and his Father is constantly worried that something is wrong with his son. Leo experiences many of the childhood frustrations that we are all too familiar with such as being unathletic, unartistic or ostracized by your peers. Over time Leo absorbs what the others have been doing and eventually blossoms with a newfound love for life. This book brilliantly conveys the revelation of a child discovering his or her place in the giant world. Leo the Late Bloomer is a timeless classic with a relevant social message and is an enjoyable read for any age child

Leo the Late Bloomer is THE most memorable story I can recall from my childhood. The illustrations are large and colorful, the text is simple, and the plot is positive and effective as a self-esteem builder for children. I remember feeling so much better about my imperfections after reading or being read Leo the Late Bloomer. I highly suggest this book for all children to funcion as an ego-booster, or simply a "feel-good" book. (It may even make an adult feel more adequate!

Leo the Late Bloomer is another in the vast series of books that made my childhood the happy time it was. I know it has a message about bolstering self esteem and being special in who you are, and in feeling confident that if you wait and do your best, your unique talents will blossom before the world, but you know, twenty years later none of that matters a hill of beans to me. What I seriously recall most is that is the colors in Leo are simply wonderful. I'd sit in my cozy miniature chair with the fluffy orange "fur" on it and I'd stare rapt at the vivid, semi-fluorescent day-glo colors of the flowers, of the tiger's fur, of the birds, of what seemed like every part of this genuinely captivating picture book. In terms of visuals alone, this book will draw any child straight into it. Staring at this used to do something positive to my three-year-old brain and make me happy. I'm being serious. Get this for a 3-4-5 year old and watch what they do. I bet dollars to donuts they stare at the colors and sit with their face about an inch off the page.

I don't know what it is about Leo The Late Bloomer, but it connects somehow with the visual/emotional/cognitive centers of the young mind in a way I personally can't remember any other book quite achieving.

I couldn't help but write a review because of my love for this book's message (and illustrations) in addition to my disagreement to one of the reviewers message concerning the possible delay in diagnosing a child with "special needs." I cannot disagree more - the moral of this story is not psychology or diagnosing a child with special needs. The subject matter deals with "a late bloomer." Lets enjoy the book & its illustrations - this book will not interrupt a parent or their doctor from diagnosing a child who has special needs. It didn't delay my relative's diagnosis. Children will love it.

Such a nice way to say "everyone on his own time" without having to spell it out. Jose Aruego's paintings are colorfull, happy and full of expressions. They tell the story and accompany the simple, yet very clever text: "Patience" said Leo's mother "a watched bloomer doesn't bloom"....and the drawing shows Leo's father trying not to watch behind the couch... lovely to read and to look at.

The ideal storybook for children having difficulty coping with their maturity. This is the story of Leo, a lion that had a hard time reading,writing, getting along with friends. In his own right time, Leo does all the things his friends can do and more. There is hope for the late-blooming child. Leo is the inner child in all of us. Praise Leo for his gifts!

C'mon people - really? Undiagnosed learning diabilities? Lazy dads? I don't see anything like that at all! Why do things have to be so complicated? having read this book at least a thousand times, it is memorized in my mind, and my boys' minds...the excitement of "then one day in his own good time LEO BLOOMED!" is just unparalleled....my boys' faces glowed with happiness every time we finished the book, and anticipation every time we opened the first page to read it. The drawings are colorful, the message sweet and to the point. Now my granddaughter is enjoying this well used, dog eared book too!

In a world in which every middle class parent worries if their child isn't top notch in everything, this book is a beautiful classic to remind us all to relax. I collect children's books, and my husband suggested this one, as he loved it as a child. When I got it, I loved it immediately. It assures children and parents that people progress at different levels, but everybody blooms. My husband was a very small child, shorter than everyone in his class, and this book brought him comfort and encouraged him in what he was good at. About 20 or 25 years later, he's a self-confident, very socially adept doctor! I remember struggling very much in kindergarten and first grade with everything from cutting to skipping to math to reading. Everything clicked for me around 2nd or 3rd grade, and school became a breeze after that. I became self-assured, and successful. I wish I'd had this book when I was struggling with those things... I might have been more confident from the start!

For the reviewer concerned that parents would delay help for their children, I doubt a kid's book would have that effect. Parents can tell when something is wrong, and one children's book is going to sway them from taking action!

Oh, and the big bonus... the illustrations are darling, and classic 1970's renderings. The words are absolutely heartwarming!

While Leo's Dad watches and waits for the blooming, Leo is learning and growing at his own pace. He will eat neatly when he is ready, and not one moment before. An important aspect is that Leo is not passive, he is depicted beautifully watching and playing and getting comfortable in his world. I recognize similarities in my own life and in my children as they grow. All that stuff kids do that isn't walking, isn't talking, isn't really drawing etc, is critically important to acquiring those skills, and sometimes it is hard for us parents to recognize this. But we need to recognize and participate in these essential preliminaries, I think especially for children who might be delayed and need our intervention.