Leo the Late Bloomer | CarolNSlibrary | TinyCat (2024)

Leo the tiger is a late bloomer. His father is so worried that Leo is not able to write, eat neatly, or roar. Leo’s mother is not worried and tells the father that Leo is just a late bloomer and he will do things in his own time. Still worried, his father follows Leo all day long hoping that he

will bloom, but he does not. In the end, Leo “blooms” and he eats neatly, writes his name, and lets out a ROAR. His father is so proud of him and realized that Leo was just a late bloomer.

This story of Leo rings true for many children and their parents who are expecting them to do things that they are not ready to do. All children grow and learn at different rates and I think Leo the Late Bloomer is a great story to convey that message to children as well as parents.

As extensions to this book, my future students can make their own book of their accomplishments since school started or their milestones from a baby. This would evolve the parents too, by telling their child when they walked or what their first words were. Another idea might be drawing different animals and their sounds and maybe learning about a new animal that inhabits another country.

Available in hardback, paperback, and as a board book. Companion book: Little Louie the Baby Bloomer. Author has written and illustrated over 100 picture books for children, including a series about a mouse. When Barbara Bush was first lady she read Leo the Late Bloomer on television as part of her

literacy campaign. About 450 of his cartoons appeared in The New Yorker.

This book is about a tiger that has difficulty accomplishing tasks that come easy to others. He can't do the things that his friends can and his father is worried, however his mother believes that he will do the things when he is ready, and he does. I am chosing to add this to my read aloud

collection so that each student knows that they will shine on their own time, and that is okay.

This book is about a young lion that can’t talk, walk, or do much of anything like the other lions, but suddenly he has abilities just like everyone else. The book ends happily. The book is for young children aged 3-6, but is rather vague on the message. The book implies that everyone is

different but in the end we are all the same. I was disappointed in the book because the main character didn’t face any challenges. I would not suggest this book for purposes of teaching about disabilities, but it is a cute story. I believe young children can handle a little more information and description as to why Leo was different and slower then the other lions. Had the story addressed a specific disability I would have suggested the story for a classroom read aloud. The story did tell children that being slow or behind was ok, but it didn’t address the bigger picture, and that usually people are always different, not just for a short time.

I liked this book for two reasons. One reason I liked this book was because of the main character. I felt that Leo was a very relatable character. He struggled with being on the "same level" as his other animal friends. I think that this is very relatable for children because they may feel like

they are also falling behind in certain aspects that their peers may be excelling at. Another reason I liked this book was for the plot. In the beginning of the book, it talked about all the things that his animal friends could do that he couldn't do. Even his parents began to worry. But, then at the end, he finally bloomed in his own time. I thought that the plot portrayed a very powerful message, and that is what made this story great. Overall, I think that the big message of this book was that everyone grows up in their own time and in their own way.

Summary: "Leo the Late Bloomer" is about a tiger named Leo who is a late bloomer. He cannot write, draw, eat neatly, or say a word. His father worries about him and begins watching him to see when he will bloom. As seasons change, Leo does not bloom and his father stops watching him. Soon after,

Leo blooms in his own time and he is able to write, draw, eat neatly and speak a sentence just like the others his age.

Review: The main idea of this story is Leo is a late bloomer which worries his father, however soon Leo blooms on his good time. I thought this story had many amazing pictures that helped carry along the story. For example, when the book discussed how Leo could not write, it illustrated all the other animals being able to write. This symbolizes how Leo is considered a late bloomer since he does not have the skills compared to the other animals.

Summary: This book is about Leo who is a late bloomer. He cannot read, write or spell. Leo and his family is very sad that Leo is not like the rest of them, but eventually he learns! His first statement is "I made it!" which makes his family so happy!

Personal reflection: This book is good for

younger students to hear and read because it shows them that everyone has struggles when they are first starting to learn how to read and write.

Class use: Have students write about a time when they felt like a late bloomer.

Leo the tiger was a late bloomer. He didn't learn to read and write when the other baby animals did, and he couldn't draw, eat neatly, or speak when they could. His father wondered aloud what the problem was, but his mother counseled patience, declaring that he would bloom when it was his time.

After much worried watching, his father eventually let him be, and then... Leo bloomed!

Originally published in 1971, this classic picture-book addresses a common childhood (and parent) concern: the feeling that one's development, either overall or in some specific area, is delayed, because it doesn't happen at exactly the same time as it does with one's peers. The simple story here gently drives home the point that everyone is on their own schedule, and that it shouldn't be a cause of undue concern when one child develops a skill at a different time than another. I found Robert Kraus's text quite humorous, especially the depiction of Leo's father and his worried watching, and thought the illustrations by José Aruego, whose artwork I am familiar with from various folkloric retellings he has been involved in, were colorful and appealing. Recommended to anyone, parent or child, worried about development schedules.

Poor Leo can’t seem to do anything right . . . he can’t read, he can’t write, he can’t draw. He’s a sloppy eater, and he doesn’t speak. What is the matter with Leo?

“Nothing,” says Leo’s mother. “Leo is just a late bloomer.”

But will Leo ever bloom?

Charming illustrations

accompany the simply narrative that helps young readers learn that everyone blooms in their own good time. A delightful tale for parents and children to enjoy together.

Highly recommended.