NO ONE IS HOME

In this Polish import, Leo the lion visits Kimbo the butterfly, who’s celebrating his birthday.

Leo wakes up excited to see Kimbo, but the day proves challenging. The annual Bug Parade has caused a traffic jam, so Leo decides to walk. Stopping at the bakery for cream puffs, Leo gets stuck in line behind Ladybug and Beetle as they debate the merits of different desserts. Leo leaves without the cream puffs. What to get Kimbo instead? Leo will write a birthday poem! Attempting to find a rhyme for oranges, the lion gets stuck and must visit the penguins at the rhyme shop. When Leo finally makes it to Kimbo’s house, Kimbo isn’t there! Over a phone call, Kimbo tells Leo about all the adventures he’s been having on his own quest to get to Leo’s house, which involve a closed diner, a run-in with a robotic dog in need of a repair, and his own encounter with Ladybug and Beetle. Bright, engaging illustrations of animals going about their business around town bring to mind Richard Scarry’s cozy yet busy metropolitan settings. But their charm wears thin as the story veers from one development to the next, turning what could have been a cute, intersecting romp into a clunky series of randomized tangents. The book ends with an invitation to search the pages for the various frog characters; hints are included.

Colorful but scattered.