How to be a Lion

by Ed Vere

[kimbacaffeinate]

How to Be A Lion by Ed Vere was a fun story featuring a lion named Leonard and a duck named Marianne who become fast friends. Leonard loves writing poems and discovers Marianne does too.

The Royals and I loved their friendship. When other lions discovered Leonard was friends with a duck they became quite upset. After all, that's not how a lion is supposed to act. Princess Sophia was not at all happy with those lions and worried that Leonard would listen. I loved how involved she got and the emotions she expressed. She stood up declaring, "He can be friends with anyone Nonna!" "Isn't that right Nonna?" This led to wonderful discussions about embracing our differences, pursuing things we like and the acceptance of others and their choices. 

 How to Be A Lion address so many issues. It's ok to be you, to be different. It also teaches children to stand up for their friends.  I loved the message and how the story allows for discussion.  What would you do?  What should Leonard do? How do you think Marianne felt?  It was delivered in a simple fashion with illustrations that highlighted the text without overwhelming it. Grab a copy for your bookshelf or gift one to your child's classroom.  This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer