“Sorry I’m late, Fatima.”

From Felipe Nunes’ Dodo.

Six-year-old Laila is struggling to keep it together in pretty much every area of her life since her parents are separated, she hasn’t seen her father in a long time, and her mother is overworked. With nothing else to do, Laila is just staring out the window when she spots a dodo bird across the street. After making eye contact with the strange bird, Laila is shocked to find that the dodo comes to her home and begins following her around. Laila names the dodo bird Ralph and tries to understand the strange bird while hiding him from her mother, which becomes harder and harder as Ralph’s mischief increases. As the conflict between her parents heats up, Laila is kept out of the fighting, but just barely, which places more stress on the young girl. Coupled with Ralph’s increasing destructiveness, Laila finds herself growing more angry over the injustices in her life, but she quickly learns that finally letting go can help her heal.

Though the book features an interesting animation style with an engaging premise, Nunes’ book seems to falter quickly with a lack of background or constructive, information-providing dialog. Situations are never fully explained or developed, which will leave most readers feeling unsatisfied with the book’s sudden conclusion. Despite its flaws, Dodo does offer a very quick read with some bright and unique animation that will entertain those with an eye for art.