Review Detail

King Lion is about a lonely lion that despairs when no one will be his friend. He acts out in his sadness until a little girl who also is lonely understands what he is going through. Together he learns how to be a friend and has more success. This is an unexpectedly deep theme on how those who act out might not be doing it because they are bad, but because they don’t know any better how to get their needs met. With so many preschool and young elementary navigating friendships for the first time, this is a fantastic way to help them be brave enough to reach out. The font used in the book is half print and half cursive making it a difficult visual for beginning readers but fine for adult read-alouds. The illustrations use many dark colors to emphasize the loneliness and dark mood the lion is experiencing and then becomes brighter as things improve. Overall, this is a thoughtful book with a deep message about giving others a chance.