Book Review: Lion

If the book reviewed is not about Torties ("tortoiseshell," black and orange mottled cats), at least it's about felines...

Title: Lion 

Cartoon felines.

Author: William Pene du Bois

Date: 1956

Publisher: Viking

ISBN: none

Length: 36 pages

Illustrations: by the author

Quote: "[O]ne hundred and four artists...made up new animals, which they drew in clear colors. It was in this way that animals were first invented."

And this story is about how an artists' committee designed the lion. Need we say more? Yes: if you're collecting books illustrated by William Pene du Bois, you'll want this one for the collection.

Do even six-year-olds really like that kind and amount of nonsense? The copy I have for sale occupied space in a library for more than thirty years. Generally the wear and tear on a discarded picture book tells how popular the book has been with the read-aloud crowd. This one, apart from the plastic cover and library stamp, seems to be in mint condition. So if you're looking for a picture book to give to a first grade student or read to a kindergarten class, I'd recommend a different one.

Nevertheless, the full-color drawings on every page (sometimes excluding words) are delightful. Probably mostly adults, with a sense of humor and playfulness and with some interest in the artistic process, will enjoy Lion.

It's a collector's item, Gentle Readers. If you want Lion, please send $10 per book, $5 per package, plus $1 per online payment, to the appropriate address at the bottom of the screen. (Salolianigodagewi is not a Paypal address; it's the e-mail address from which you get the appropriate Paypal address.) At least five more books of this size will fit into one $5 package.