Leo and the whale

A touching story about friendship.

Leo and the Whale tells the story of a lonely boy, a baby whale, and a friendship that will change both their lives forever.

Leo and his father live in a house near the sea. Every day, Leo's father leaves early to work as a fisherman, and the boy spends the day with his kittens. One morning, after a heavy storm, Leo finds a whale on the beach and takes it home, hoping for a companion to listen to his stories (the whale is a great listener). He tries to keep his new friend a secret, but the plan doesn't last long when his father finds it hiding in the bathtub. Leo's gesture changes both their lives, as they team up to get the whale back to sea. But from that moment on, the friendship between father and son grows stronger.

It's a delicate book about friendship, love, and saying goodbye. Written and illustrated by Benji Davies, it was among the five books nominated for the 2014 Oscar Book Prize and was a winner of the 2014 Booktrust Best Book Awards for young readers (ages 0-5). It was named one of the best picture books of 2014 by children's literature expert Minh Le.