It is safe to say that everybody has at sometime in their life felt behind the curve like the odd man out, like they could never quite catch up with the rest of their peers. Children especially seem to worry about being able to perform to the standard of the other children, or not living up to the expectations that surround them. In Leo the Late Bloomer, written by Robert Kraus and illustrated by Jose Aruego, Leo is one of those "kids," and anyone who has ever felt those emotions can relate to him, no matter what their age. Leo the Late Bloomer is an account of a young tiger that is a late bloomer and doesn't mature at the same rate as all of his friends. During the story, poor, young Leo can't seem to do anything right, much to his frustration and the chagrin of his parents. In due time though Leo comes at of his shell, making his parents and most importantly himself happy. Through the words and illustrations, Kraus and Aruego, weave a tale that teaches a lesson, while at the same time entertaining its audience.
             The illustrations in Leo the Late Bloomer are made up of bright and colorful drawings that make it fun for children to view as they read the story. For the most part, the drawings go hand in hand with the text, but if the illustrations are viewed more carefully, subtle differences between what the words say and what is actually written on the pages can be seen. An example of this is the way that Leo's father is portrayed in the illustrations about halfway through the story. At one point Leo's mother is trying to explain to Leo's father how he should handle his son's underdeveloped behavior and says, "A watched bloomer doesn't bloom." However, as the story proceeds throughout the text sentences begin to appear such as, "So Leo's father watched television instead of Leo," or "Leo's father still wasn't watching." But
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