One day, a childless couple find a newborn at the edge of the swamp. They do not see any parents so worried about him, they take him home and raise them as his own. They call him Boris. He is a little different as he has gills, but he learns to bike ride, climb trees, and make friends at school just like any other boy. One windy day, the salty smell of the swamp wafts through the air and Boris begins to question his life. Boris leaves home and finds a new family, one with creatures that have gills just like him. Who is his real family? He was not comfortable in the swamp and realized that was not where he belongs either. I love that his adoptive parents tell him they brought him home because they loved him and wanted to keep him safe. I also like that Boris realized that you do not have to look like your family to love them. "Family is where the heart is". The illustrations are wonderful. They are detailed and show the emotions of the characters. They add a lot to the story. This is a wonderful story to share with children who have been adopted. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. ( )

I took me a while to understand this book. A couple finds a "baby" gills like a fish at the swamp and they adopt him. They call him Boris and give him the happiest life possible. But Boris feels the swamp calling for him. He finally follows the scent of the swamp, and comes back to live there for a while, before he starts missing the town and his family.

What is the message? Nature vs. nurture? Respectful love, as Boris' parents feel for him?

I think the answer is what Boris wonders while he rides back to town at the end of the story: "How much like us do those we love have to be? (...) Maybe our family is simply the ones we love? And the ones who love us back?"

I received this copy in an Early Reviewers Giveaway in LibraryThing. ( )

I received this book in exchange for a review.

We received a great oversized hardcover copy of this book. This is an oversized hardbound book for children, 11.5" x 8.25". The cover is easy to hold, but the pages should be turned by older children as they are standard glossy pages.

This is a wonderful book, with the story like a fairy tale in its telling and the fantastic illustrations by Italian Artist Marco Soma bringing you into the tale on each full color page.

The story is about a couple who could have no children. They found a newborn with gills on the edge of the swamp. They took him home and called him Boris. Boris grew up with a loving family, but was always thirsty. One day, he leaves the house and makes his way down to the swamp. There he encounters other creatures like him.

Meanwhile, his parents left notes for him at the swamp which said "If you're happy where you are, then we're happy too".

What happens to Boris?

In my opinion, this is one of the best books I have read about adoption. There is no judgement, just a simple tale about differences making a family, and acknowledging that a child who is adopted can yearn for "home".

Highly recommended. ( )

This is a sweet tale of "adoption", and of finding the place you belong, even if it is different than what you expected. I loved that Boris followed "the call of the swamp" when searching for where he belongs,and the messages at the bottom of the swamp were what finally brought him home. This is a unique story about searching for belonging, and the illustrations are a perfect compliment to a pond life science investigation. ( )

This book is perfect. The art is an A+ and the story is one that would resonate with children and adults. It is well written. My favorite part is that the child in the book actually shows thought processes and contemplates his decisions. A great lesson for children and an even better one for adults. WELL DONE ( )