Rafa and the wrong legs by Angie Lucas and Ana Sanfelippo

 There are definitely picture books about kids getting lost, but this new book is the best I've seen, spot-on and realistic, as well as a good story.

Rafa, short for Rafael, promises Mama to stay close if he gets out of the cart. For a while, he does, clinging tightly to her legs with easy to follow blue pants with big white polka-dots. But when he chases down and picks up a berry that falls off a display, he goes to show Mama... and it's the wrong pair of legs!

Rafa panics and runs through the produce section, until he finally finds Mama, but it's the wrong pair of legs again! Finally, he hears the loudspeaker talking about the bakery and remembers getting cookie samples there. So he wipes away his tears, finds the person handing out cookie samples, and asks him to use his walkie-talkie to find Mama. Finally, the right pair of legs arrive! Another child loses their mom at the same time, but all are reunited and it's a happy ending.

There's a short afterword with discussion questions for making sure kids know what to do if they get lost or separated. The author also has an online activity kit to help kids memorize their phone number.

There are some assumptions here, not exactly stereotypes, but close. Many kids don't have a stable adult in their life, let alone a phone number that stays the same. There's also the assumption that the families are shopping at the same (big) store regularly. However, it's reasonable to assume that if a kid's family has the time and bandwidth to read aloud to them and discuss what to do if they get lost, they have enough stability to have said information to pass on to the kids.

The art is friendly and shows a diverse group of people, body types, and fashion choices, mostly from the legs down of course, wandering about the store.

Verdict: A unique and must-have addition to most library collections, this would be something I'd use in a safety-themed storytime, recommend to kids learning basic safety, or even use when covering life skills and critical thinking with older kids - it's funny but relatable. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9781958325223; Hardcover/picture book on Baker & Taylor for $18.04

Published September 2024 by Marble Press; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library