Leo and Ralph lie on a blanket together. It’s evening and they are looking at the stars. Leo asks, ‘What planet should we look for?’ Ralph says, ‘Flumblebot’. This planet is one of Leo’s favourites that they had invented.
Leo is about to move house and tonight will be their last night together. Leo’s family is moving to a small country town and Ralph can’t come. Ralph is Leo’s imaginary friend, and everyone agrees that Leo’s old enough to leave Ralph behind.
Leo doesn’t find he fits in or makes friends easily. After Ralph turned up, having arrived from one of Jupiter’s moons, school became ‘less scary’ and Ralph became the ‘friend of his dreams’.
The car is packed and the family head off to a new town, a new school, a new life. But can Leo manage without Ralph? When his mum sees Leo’s pinky being held out to his side in mid-air, she knows that Ralph is back holding his hand.
This book touched my heart. The way Ralph changes colour to match Leo’s emotions, his silly antics and sense of fun had me smiling and my heart swelling. Leo’s emotions had me empathising and reliving the feelings we have all experienced.
Carnavas’ writing is simply outstanding. He has created a most beautiful, thoughtful and gentle book about growing up, being brave, and finding out that what might scare you, or make you feel awkward, might not be so scary or awkward after all.
Leo and Ralph deserves to have many young hands lovingly wrapped around it.
Reviewed by Jane Stephens
Age Guide 7+
Read an interview with Peter Carnavas about Leo and Ralph
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Peter Carnavas writes and illustrates books for children. He has made many picture books, such as The Children Who Loved Books, Last Tree in the City and A Quiet Girl.
His novel The Elephant won a Queensland Literary Award and was shortlisted in four other national awards. He has won an Australian Book Industry Award and a SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, and his books have been published widely across the world.
My Brother Ben, won the 2022 Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, was shortlisted at the 2022 Speech Pathology Book of the Year Awards, longlisted for the 2022 Australian Book Industry Award’s Book of the Year for Younger Children, and was a 2022 CBCA Notable.
Peter lives on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, with his wife, two daughters, a dog and a cat.
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