A Letter for Leo, by Sergio Ruzzier, was published by Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2014.

The book is about an animal mailman who never receives mail. One day he rescues a small bird, that he raises, till the birds head north again. Then the rescue bird flies away. At the end, Leo receives a letter from the bird.

Again, this story does not fit the formula that everyone says is required. There is no way that Leo could overcome the problem of not receiving a letter on his own.

The book introduces the game of bocce, which few children (or parents) in the US would be familiar with. I would have actually appreciated back matter on the game–even though I do know some about it.