Tuesday, September 20, 2016

The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright, illustrated by Jim Field

I'm not generally a fan of rhyming books, or picture books with a moral, but this one just kind of grabbed me.

A little mouse is tired of being scared and small. So, he decides to risk it all and ask the lion to teach him to roar! The lion is the king of beasts and also quite likely to eat the small mouse! Nevertheless, he perseveres, only to discover, after a difficult journey, that the lion is scared of...him? The two become close friends and realize they are better together than apart.

The plot, taken down to its bare bones, is not particularly unique or surprising but the presentation is delightful. The silly rhymes bounce along, rather like a Dr. Seuss book.

The illustrations, however, are what really caught my eye. Bright, creator of the Love Monster series, connects with a new illustrator, Jim Field, who branches out into a brilliant palette of golds and browns and a classic style that will remind readers of Gus Tenggren and other Little Golden Books artists. The giant-eared mouse, solemn lion, and all the other animals are set against a background that seems to pulsate with heat and color.

Verdict: A fun addition to storytimes; I look forward to seeing more from this artist/author duo.

ISBN: 9780545873505; Published 2016 by Scholastic; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

No comments: