Leopold the See-Through Crumbpicker

Leopold, the See-Through Crumbpicker
James Flora ~ Harcourt Brace & World, 1961

The second favorite Flora for my son behind Grandpas' Farm, the story follows a see-through creature who...

Leopold always waits for someone to come along who is eating cookies and making crumbs. One day he waited and waited.
A policeman walked down the street.
A man rode by on his horse.
A train whistled past.
But none of them was making crumbs.
Then came Minerva. She had lost her front teeth and she was always eating vanilla cookies. The crumbs were falling like snow on Christmas Day. Leopold followed Minerva.

The coolest thing about this book was watching my son listen to it for the first time and slowly figure out that Leopold is, in fact, invisible. (That's a heavy concept for a kid to fathom.)

Leopold does follow Minerva and causes all kinds of trouble ~ eating up lunches and picking crumbs all over! ~ until, at last, she thinks to paint him so that everyone can have a look-see. Eventually Leopold ends up in the zoo where all the children can bring him crumbs and enjoy the fun. The book ends with that ever important question...

Now, whenever it rains, Minerva goes to the zoo and puts new paint on Leopold. Sometimes she puts polka dots all over him--like this. He likes polka dots better than stripes. I do too. Do you?

Of course! Ten thumbs way up on this rad, rad book.

(I'm not actually gonna show you Leopold, as that would spoil your fun! Here's hoping Enchanted Lion gets to reprinting this soon.)

Also by:
Pishtosh Bullwash and Wimple
Kangaroo for Christmas
Stewed Goose
Great Green Turkey Creek Monster
Grandpa's Farm
The Day the Cow Sneezed
Little Hatchy Hen
Grandpa's Witched Up Christmas
My Friend Charlie
Sherwood Walks Home
The Fabulous Firework Family

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