"My, what is this?" the old leopard asked.
"A leopard? Most certainly not!"
"Don't take my word, see for yourselves."
"What makes us all leopards? Our spots!"
"Lottie the Leopard Can't Find Her Spots" is a tale about diversity, inclusion, self-acceptance, the importance of focusing on similarities, celebrating differences and realizing there is no such thing as "normal."
From the first time Lottie opens her eyes, she sees how different she looks. The others make it very clear that she will never be accepted as a leopard until she finds her spots. She follows her instincts and runs far, far away. Wiping away her tears, she eventually finds herself in a strange place, exhausted and alone. The last thing she thinks about before falling asleep is: "If a leopard is only judged by its spots, where do I fit in if I cannot find mine?"
Standing in front of Lottie when she finally wakes up is a polka-dotted Ladybug who Lottie assumes is a girl. Exasperated, the Ladybug tells Lottie he is a boy, and, that of all creatures, a leopard without spots should not be judging anything by its cover.
"I'm sorry, Sir. I know how you feel.
My looks are the reason I run.
Boy Ladybug. Leopard sans spots.
We are connected! This could be fun!"
With this shared connection, Lottie asks Thor if he can help her find the leopard she truly is inside. "Of course," he replies, and the two begin the adventure of a lifetime during which they encounter old friends (Zaybo the Zebra and Percy the Peacock), odd creatures ("a zebra all white," "a bee without yellow," "a short-necked giraffe" and "the ho-hum tale of a peacock fellow") and a gaggle of insightful strangers who immediately feel like life-long friends.
They realize the only thing to do when you are different on the outside is discover and embrace who you truly are on the inside.
After all they learn and experience, there is one final question Lottie needs to ask, and she will have to go all the way back home to find it. Will the answer be unconditional love and acceptance or will Lottie lose her spot amongst the leopards once and for all?
With Roecker's signature sing/song writing style, original, loveable characters and layered storylines (with plot twists at every turn!), Book 5 is a wonderful and fulfilling ending to his "6 of 1/ Half a Dozen of the Other" Amazon best-selling series, which includes "Why Ball Wouldn't Bounce, "Why Inch Got a Foot," "How to Save the World: Find a Smallisall," and "The Shiny Shenanigans of Aunties and Squirrel."
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