Review by Booklist Review
A young boy hoping to find Lion meets a lion and then, strangely, tries to help the slightly menacing feline find some food. But the lion finds grass (inhabited by turtles) too snappy, mushrooms (near hedgehogs) too prickly, and ripe berries (next to skunks) too stinky. When a hummingbird's feathers threaten the lion's allergies, the little boy bravely crawls down the lion's throat to locate his Lion (a pet kitten), and the two are conveniently sneezed to safety. Busch's brief text consists of conversation only leaving numerous narrative holes for Day's artwork to fill, as well as making the story's surprise ending effective. The watercolor, gouache, and penciled lion dominates most spreads, and while grouchy, he is remarkably tolerant of all the aforementioned wildlife clinging to his fur. This will work for story hours or as a lap sit (where listeners can pore over the illustrations' details). Pair with Michelle Knudsen's Library Lion (2006) for another look at lions in unusual settings.--Weisman, Kay Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-A boy is looking for Lion (later revealed to be his pet cat, named Lion) and runs into an actual big cat that is hungry for lunch. The boy suggests several options from grass to berries, but each plant has a different animal on or around it, so Lion rejects it for various reasons. Flowers bother him because feathers from feeding birds make him sneeze; berries are "too stinky" (two skunks are enjoying them). This gives the boy an idea, and he heads into the lion's jaws with a bird to rescue his cat. Careful readers may guess what the boy is looking for, but the detailed pictures and simple story will entertain even those who aren't surprised by the twist ending. With plenty of chuckle-worthy illustrations and a simple but enjoyable story, this should work well in storytimes or for one-on-one reading.-Laura Stanfield, Campbell County Public Library, Ft. Thomas, KY (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Looking for Lion (his kitten), a boy runs into a hungry lion. Having an idea where his pet is, the boy finds just the right lunch offering to cause the lion to relinquish Lion. Set against clean white backgrounds, the expressive watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations recalling Ezra Jack Keats reveal the real story unfolding alongside the spare text. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Readers must pay careful attention to both the words and the pictures in this quirky, humorous book about a boy who is shouting out, "Lion!" and a lion who is hungry.The benign expression of the enormous, cartoonish lion on the cover and the fearless stance on the smiling boy, who looks to be African-American, standing nearby are excellent clues to young readers that this will be a humorous tale, with a relatively harmless carnivore. Even so, the lion looks quite menacing on the title page and on the first double-page spread, as he emerges from behind a building to see the boy shouting, "Lion!" Readers are meant to feel befuddled when the lion asks the boy, "What are you doing?" and the boy says, "Trying to find Lion." The underlying feeling of unease continues when the lion leans in, eyes intent, and tells the boy "I'm looking for lunch." Readers will be confused, and then delighted, as they observe why the lion, offered some luncheon choices, thinks that grass is too snappy, mushrooms too prickly and berries too stinky. The grand joke comes at the end, when the clever boy forces the lion to sneeze, and there is another play on the same theme on the very last page.Sly, dark humor for little onesat its best. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
