Leo's Lobo

Leo can’t wait to adopt a pet, but after searching at a shelter, he doesn’t connect with any of the animals there and is disappointed. While on their way home, the family sees a busy marketplace and stops by to enjoy some of the shops. While they are at the marketplace, Leo stumbles across a shelter with colorful magical creatures. Leo learns that these are alebrijes, and he can adopt one if one of them picks him. Leo is thrilled that one of them is going to come home with him, but he learns that having a pet comes with a lot of responsibility that he may not be ready for on his own.

What I Liked: The cover of this book instantly grabs your attention, and if you are familiar with Mexican culture and language, the title and the alebrije do as well. The combination of Lobo on the cover and the title instantly captured my attention, as I love the concept of alebrijes and recognized Lobo as one of those.

It was fascinating to see so many alebrijes on the page, and the author does a great job of introducing them to the reader. The introduction of the alebrijes transitions seamlessly into Leo exploring the various alebrijes that are available and instantly connecting with one that looks like a wolf and a dog mixed.

When Leo brings Lobo home, the pacing of this book picks up as things get chaotic with the introduction of a new pet to the house. Leo quickly discovers that owning a pet might be more than he has expected and learns that asking for help is the best thing that he can do now that he is overwhelmed.

Leo’s family comes up with creative and fun ways to help him with the responsibilities that come with having Lobo, such as walking him and picking up after him. Each member of the family is able to contribute and come to Leo’s aid with different activities, such as Leo’s brother showing him that skateboarding while walking, Lobo might aide with the speed. The antics that Lobo gets up to when Leo is trying to handle everything on his own add humor to the story while also portraying the realities of owning a dog.

Final Verdict: Leo’s Lobo is a delightful, vibrant story that highlights the significance of alebrijes in Mexican culture and the responsibility of owning a pet. This book does a fantastic job of showing readers ages 5 and up the importance of seeking support when it's needed and encourages them to ask for help. Children will enjoy the vibrant illustrations and the magical creatures throughout the book and love using their imagination to think of what kind of albrije they would want.