The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright and Jim Field
| The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright and Jim Field | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Zoe Morris
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| Summary: A wonderful animal story whether you're bossy like the lion, or more bashful like the mouse | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: March 2016 |
| Publisher: Orchard Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1408331606 | |
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Longlisted for the 2017 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal
Books about scary beasts that turn out to be not so scary are immensely popular, and I blame Disney for how much of a hit this one is sure to be. The reason is sitting quietly on top of a rock on page five. Why, hello Mr Lion.
This book isn't (just) about a Lion though. It starts off about a mouse, a quiet, humble little thing that, quite literally, gets walked all over. Among the other wild animals (zebras, elephants, giraffes) he is a lonesome little thing who no one really takes seriously. But our mouse friend wants more. He wants to be heard, be listened to, have people pay attention to him. So he hatches a plan to learn from the best, however scary a beast the best may be. I don't want to give away the ending, but this book is brilliant and had me in hoots of laughter.
Told in rhyme this book is fun, of course, but it also has a nice message about differences and how some people (or animals) are aggressive and loud, and others are meeker and milder, and how really, of course, there's room for all sorts whether it's in your family, your nursery class, or out in the wilds of Africa.
I love books written in verse because they are so easy to read aloud, and this one is especially catchy in a way that some song lyrics can be. There's lots of places to interact too (who can do the best ROARRRR?) and the language is laid back and accessible:
He was head of the pack He was shouty and tough He loved showing the crowd He was made of strong stuff
Yes, shouty may not be a word you see written than often, but it works well here.
The illustrations, too, are gorgeous and look like they've jumped straight out of an animated film (think Lion King meets Madagascar). There are a few pages that are so good you could imagine getting a framed print of them to hang on the wall.
I think you can tell how much I enjoyed this one and it's bound to be a hit. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending us a copy to review.
The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr is of course a classic for animal fans.
The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright and Jim Field is in the Top Ten Children's Picture Books 2016.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright and Jim Field at Amazon.com.
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