Dodo is an odd story. There are unusual illustrations and a few plot holes. You seem as if you are starting in the middle of the story. This makes it feel almost as if it is book two of a series. This could be due to the translation of Felipe Nunes graphic novel, or it could just be me as a reader.
There are characters just “there” with little to no explanation who they are. It was pages before I realized one character was the housekeeper and not the mother’s girlfriend/partner. Up to that point it was anyone’s guess who she was (as I was also leaning towards perhaps a grandmother, a neighbor, a friend or babysitter). Little dialogue and nontraditional action in some places make you not always sure where you are. Even Laila herself, with her almost Mad Magazine features (though that is not right either. There is something familiar about her that I cannot put my finger on) starts in the middle of a thought. When the dodo, Ralph, enters her world the symbolism at first might be subtle for the child reader, but the adult will quickly catch on that Ralph and Laila are the same person.
Aimed at a younger audience, but due the plot and the awkwardness I am not sure they would get all the subtleties presented. Also, the fact Laila is only six years-old but seems to have an understanding of someone older with her speech. Yet, does not have the maturity of that older tone.
Overall, this book is interesting. You read it knowing you are getting something different (the cover has a cartoon bird being chased by a child) and you come away with knowing what you read, yet, not fully content.