Rafa and the Wrong Legs is a sweet, clever, and wise story that every parent and curious child will recognize as their own. Especially in a growing child with a lot of curiosity.

In a Nutshell: A picture book with a cute story and an important message. Plot, message, illustrations – this book gets most things spot on!

Plot Preview:
Now that little Rafa is too big to sit in the shopping cart, Mama asks him to walk next to the cart and not wander away while they are in the supermarket. Being a good boy, Rafa listens to her and sticks close by her legs. But when a berry rolls away from its counter and Rafa rushes to pick it up, he ends up grabbing another pair of legs on his return. Where did Mama and her legs go? How will Rafa find her in this huge store?

Don’t you just love it when picture books combine entertainment and education in one adorable package?

The cover and the title warmed my heart as soon as I saw this book. Reading the blurb brought back a long-forgotten memory of how, when I was about 5 or 6, I had walked out of church holding the hand of another lady, assuming her to be my mom. (I don’t recollect what led to the confusion; perhaps they were wearing similar sarees!) Luckily for me, my parents were right behind, waiting for the bulb of realisation to light up over my head. They had a hearty laugh over the incident, but I was quite mortified. As such, I could really empathise with Rafa, because at that age and height, all you can see is a wave of adult legs around you! 😅

The plotline is simple and effective. I like how the book doesn’t show Rafa to be a naughty kid who didn’t follow instructions and thus ended up lost. It goes to show that anyone can be in a similar situation, and being careful is not something meant only for mischievous children.

The setting being a supermarket leads to a bonus advantage. There are loads of vegetables and fruits in the graphics, which can lead to interactive learning opportunities.

The vocabulary level is suitably mixed. The sentences, written in simple prose, are concise and precise. At times, the lines contain tougher words, but there is always an illustration that can help adults explain the word to little readers. Moreover, there is ample use of alliteration and onomatopoeia – two of my favourite figures of speech in children’s picture books.

The illustrations are outstanding. The cover art gives you a great idea of the inside graphics. Bright pastels in various colours make for a nice contrast against the white backdrop. The humans come in realistically diverse sizes and colours, and of course, varying bottom-wear fashions, further confusing our pint-sized protagonist. Rafa is sketched appropriately small, so all he can see at his eye-level are legs – loved how realistic this was! There seems to be another child in the background who has also “lost” her mommy. Keep an eye out for her because the two kids’ arcs merge at the end.

My only complaint about the illustrations is that a pair of legs that had tattoos is described as “too scary”. One of the tattoos was that of a skull, so it could be that Rafa found the skull scary, but as this isn’t openly specified, kids might draw a different conclusion. Perhaps parents/caregivers could point out to children that tattoos by themselves don’t indicate a scary person.

The book ends with a special section: “Lost & Found’ Strategies for grownups to share with children. This is written not as tips but in a Q&A format with discussion pointers – much more effective.

All in all, this was one awesome book, delivering on almost every aspect. Heartily recommended to littlies aged 3-8. The content, with its multiple opportunities for learning and discussion, would be perfect at homes as well as classrooms.

4.75 stars.

My thanks to Marble Press for providing the DRC of “Rafa and the Wrong Legs” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Thank you to the author, Marble Press and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book for younger readers tells the story of a little boy in a grocery store who accidentally gets lost. So relatable - the little one is (in their own mind) "much too big" to sit in the cart, but (from POV of the adult) much too little and easily distractable to be running around in the grocery store on their own. That is exactly what happens to Rafa, he is distracted and gets lost, and finds all kinds of adult legs, but not those of his mother. The simple language and the cute illustrations help to underline the discussion questions at the end of the book, about what to do in a situation like this. I particularly liked that there were suggestions for both the small children and the adults. Highly recommend!

I thought that this book was great!

I used to be a runner when I was little so I can see the need for a book like this. We were lucky with our daughter as she has never wandered and always holds our hands, but it is easy enough, as the book shows, to become separated.

The tips at the end of the book are invaluable on teaching a child what they need to do should they get separated in a shop, or store from their parent or guardian.

The illustrations in the book are really lovely too and work well with Rafa's story.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended!

Rafa’s mom, I am in the same boat as you. My little is also too big for the cart, and now I’ve got to teach them how to be out and about in a busy store. But this book was a great starting point for teaching my kid how to not get lost, what to do once you’re lost, and who a child can trust for help.

Now, in this book, Rafa is clever enough to backtrack and find his mom again. But the end of the book contains a few mainly-text pages for kids to discuss with their parents. It covers things like staying where you are, calling out, and gives some guidelines on who to ask for help. This last one will vary depending on your family, so anticipate doing a bit more discussion there. For example, does your family trust the police or not? Certainly, these discussions will differ for each family, and should be done frequently (and especially brushed up on before shopping), but this book helps start the conversation. And, since it has a storyline with a happy ending, kids can be assured that they won’t be lost forever, and they don’t need to be scared.

I think this is a great library pick, though it may have limited utility after a few weeks. Unless your kid really loves Rafa.

Advanced reader copy provided by the publisher.

A good book for families to read together a few times to teach their littles what to do when they get lost. Safety is extremely important and achieving safety often requires clear and honest communication. This book helps facilitate that. This book can also be engaging, involving the children as you read you can to see if they think they see the right pants. Illustrations are cute and very detailed.

This was a cute book. Written well, with colorful drawings, and a fun message. My 3 and 4 year old enjoyed it.

Rafa and the Wrong Legs tells the story of a little boy in a grocery store who accidentally gets lost. He is told now that he is too big for the cart that he must stay close to his mom, but suddenly a distraction happens and he gets lost, finding all of these other adult legs that do not lead to his mom. The book ends with some discussion questions about getting lost. I could see reading this book in lessons about the buddy system in health. I could definitely see myself reading this to my class, and this would make an excellent addition to my classroom library. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this important book.

Who hasn’t lost their parent in the store?! I loved the illustrations and the simplified language in this book. And even better, I loved the tips for parents regarding getting lost at the back of the book. It’s so helpful to give this book/social story to children before something like this happens!

Very cute book. I liked the illustrations, and I think this is a book every parent and child will relate to.

Such a darling book about a boy who loses his mama at the store. The illustrations are unique and beautiful. It exposes children to an experience so if it ever happens to them they will know what to do. It also includes helpful conversations for parents to have with their kiddos when this happens. I still remember grabbing my uncles arm and panicking when I realized it wasn't my dads! Such a universal experience.

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Marble Press; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

This is a sweet, adorable story that would be an excellent book to read to preschoolers! The pages are colorful and vibrant, and the text to each page is short and attention grabbing. Rafa and the Wrong Legs also goes through steps children can take if they get separated from their guardian at any point, which is also a great resource to discuss with young children.

For sensitive readers, the book does depict children in temporary distress.

This is a great book to read to kids. It discusses what to do when you get lost. I remember getting lost at the grocery store as a kid. I remember panicking and the little boy in the story does too. The illustrations are adorable and fun. Overall, a great book and it would make a great addition to a school library.

This was so fun and cute and a great way to teach the little ones what to do in a similar situation. Don't we love it when a book is educational and helps parents but it's also a blast to read with the little ones? Oh, yes, we do!

The illustrations are amazing and they do add to the fun.

I really liked this book, and so did my four year old Grandson. The story is something we can all relate to. What do I do if I get lost? There are also helpful prompts and suggestions in the back of the book about how to talk to your little ones, so they will know what to do if they get lost. The art is sweet, but there's so much going on that it's sometimes hard to see where the little boy is. Overall it's a wonderful little book.

Oh my heart.
Rafa gets… well, this is a picture book and every word we write may end up getting closer to giving away the story.
The art style is exactly what my child and I love in picture books: reimagining of real life as if in a cartoon and highly artistic and detailed.
Rafa is adorable.
The story itself is great for younger children. We read a few books with the same theme and this was most beautiful one of them so far. I like the fact that the inciting incident is something that is realistic and that there is a happy ending, but as an adult who reads children’s books even without their child by their side or even prior to having children, it was mostly the awesome style and the tenderness that were winners for me rather than the plot.

It is a very good story for children and this could be their one time bedtime story too. Author kept the theme so realistic and good for children to learn for how not to roam around and lost in places outside their own house.
Rafa grown-up to a level to visit the market with her mother and that too by not sitting in the trolley while picking items for purchasing. But all he knew while standing beside are the legs he was holding too. But he got lost. By the time realised, he was already lost in supermarket. He panicked and start searching for legs he was holding to, which belong to his mother.

This is a nice concept for to make children learn on how to react when they face any such situation.
I appreciate that author in last included "Helpful strategies for grown-ups to share with children" in the form of Q&A, which in itself will eventually let both parents and their prodigy to learn about the 'Lost & Found' thing.

Illustrations were also very lively and soothing to eyes while read.

I received an electronic ARC from Marble Press through NetGalley.
Rafa does not want to sit in the shopping cart so agrees to stay right by his mother. Then a strawberry bounces away and he chases it. Readers see him look for his mama and then problem solve to find her. I love the child's view of so many adult legs. Lucas captures the reality of what a child this size sees. The colorful illustrations and scale of the drawings emphasize how large a store feels. Don't miss the tips for families at the end.

A cute story about gaining independence and staying safe. I thought the book’s text and wording needs more consideration. Illustrations are colourful and cute with enough white space for processing.

Safety tips at the back are always helpful

The story follows a young child that loses his mother in the store. The story handled the subject very well. At no point did it feel too much for my kid. It serves as a great reminder to have conversations with children on how to handle a situation if they somehow find themselves in a similar scenario.