Review Detail

Lion is not very nice. He bullies the other animals, and they're all afraid to stand up to him. In desperation, they put out a "Help Needed" ad, and hope that some brave soul will come to their rescue for a reward of "100 BUCKS (mostly gazelle)." In response to the ad, a bear loses a boxing match against Lion, a moose fails at fencing, and a tiger cannot best Lion at arm wrestling. It seems that all is lost, and Lion is ready to go back to his bullying ways, when a rabbit arrives to save the day.

LION VS. RABBIT by Alex Latimer is a retelling of sorts of THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE, and the author/illustrator adds plenty of light moments to his version in through his illustrations. None of the animals are too threatening--not even Lion--and the story is fun all the way through to the expected outcome. There IS a bit of a plot twist at the finale when it's revealed that Lion was up against more than one wily rabbit, and a review of the illustrations shows clues toward that end.

LION VS. RABBIT provides a bit of a twist to a classic with a story that is fun to read aloud. The distinctive illustrations add to the humor--and it IS always nice to see a bully get his comeuppance, isn't it?

My thanks to the publisher and YA Books Central for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.