The Blurb On The Back:

Look out, Leonard! 

It’s moving day for the Shrew family, and they have quite the jungle adventure ahead of them.  Mrs Shrew has asked them all to hold onto each other’s tails so that nobody gets lost.  But hold on, where is Leonard?

Little Leonard loses his way and as he tries to reach his loving family, he gets himself in some sticky situations.

Be careful and look out, Leonard!

You can buy LOOK OUT, LEONARD! by Jessie James and Tamara Anegon from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

The Review (Cut For Spoilers):

Mr and Mrs Shrew and their five children, Sam, Stevie, Sasha, Sydney and Leonard are moving to the other side of the jungle.  To make sure that no one gets lost Mrs Shrew tells the children to all hold onto each other’s tails but Leonard grabs hold of the wrong tail and is soon separated from the others!  As the Shrews make their way across the jungle, Leonard tries to catch up with them, encountering adventures and danger on the way!

Jessie James and Tamara Anegon have created a delightful picture book about the misadventures of a short-sighted shrew and his apparently oblivious family.  Young children will enjoy reading this with parents and the repeated warnings of “Look out, Leonard!” are catchy (so parents beware!) while the different jungle animals and dangers are bright and colourful and it’s all done with a lot of silly charm.

This is a great picture book for parents to read with their little ones as they will be able to join in with the “Look out, Leonard!” chorus.  The different animals are all brightly drawn and coloured, which will hold their attention and while there is some mild jeopardy for little Leonard, he escapes very quickly so children will not be unduly frightened.  Part of the reason for Leonard’s getting lost seems to be that he can’t see properly even through he wears glasses and as a glasses wearer myself, I have to say that I’m really not a fan of that idea because it’s literally not true but I also get that it’s a trope and this is a picture book so … 

All in all I think this is a lovely, fun book that kids and parents will enjoy – although I can see the chorus getting quite wearying for parents if the book becomes a favourite.  There’s a little section at the end that tells you a bit more about the Southeast Asian Shrew so there’s a learning opportunity there as well.  

LOOK OUT, LEONARD! was released in the United Kingdom on 4th March 2021.  Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.