Lost in Bermooda by Mike Litwin (review)

Chuck the cow lives on the island of Bermooda, a “Moo-topia” that was once the site of a shipwreck and is now populated by a variety of animals who have evolved from the livestock onboard to walk on two legs, speak English, and use electricity (er, “boltage”) and a variety of other human technologies and implements. When Chuck discovers Dakota, a human boy who has been washed ashore, he’s surprised to find that Dakota is not the bloodthirsty, beef-eating monster “hu’mans” are rumored to be and decides to take the boy home, disguising him as Sea Cow, until he can try to get him back where he belongs. A plot by the richest bull in town to take over the island complicates matters and makes keeping Dakota’s identity secret even more essential. Though some of the vocabulary will prove to be a challenge for transitioning readers, the deluxe-size print, brief chapters, and goofy but painterly digital artwork of the chunky, tropical characters increase the readability of this friendship tale. Litwin packs a lot of action into a little book through the pair’s attempts to get Dakota home, while still making both Chuck and Dakota well-rounded and adding bumps along the way in their relationship. Although the conclusion is a little puzzling—Dakota is revealed to be an orphan and is adopted into the family without his disguise, but he’s still called a Sea Cow—it is fulfilling, and young readers will wonder if we might return to this island paradise in future books after this moo-ving story about friendship across difference.