"As they drove home, he made sure not to
imagine anything. No UFOs, no aliens
bouncing on rooftops, no clouds above the
town. And when he went to bed that night,
he spied nothing strange or exciting in the
sky. Just a crowd of ordinary stars."
There is so much to love about Leo's story. He is a young boy whose lack of understanding for the world around him causes worry for his parents. Leo finds it very difficult to make a friend. His interest in outer space, aliens, and bugs (among other things) alienate him from his kindergarten classmates. So when Ralph, a yellow horned alien from Ralphora (one of Jupiter's moons), shows up at his window one might, life changes for the little boy. This imaginary friend provides warmth, understanding, and comfort that allows Leo freedom from the worry of meeting and making other friends.
The two are inseparable; they talk for hours, design new alien games, talk backwards, and hide under the stairs at recess time. Leo's parents and sister are patient, allowing a wide berth for their son as he adjusts to this new friendship and relies on Ralph for social understanding and companionship. As Leo is about to enter Year 4 at school, his mother accepts a position at a small country school that means a move, and an agreement that it is time for Leo to say goodbye to his imaginary friend in hopes that he is now old enough to make connections at this new school.
It is a terrifying time for Leo. Ralph promises he will find Leo again if he is unable to make a new friend in his first week. Leo counts on that. Ralph secretly returns. Slowly but surely (and with Ralph's advice and guidance), Leo begins to make friends with Gus, another loner like himself. Building that friendship with warmth and caution fills the heart with wonder and admiration, and leads to changes in life that shine with hope for the days to come.
Please read it, and then share it with someone you love. Better yet, read it together. It's so worth it!
No comments:
Post a Comment