The Lion Inside
by Rachel Bright (Author) Jim Field (Illustrator)
"That day they BOTH learned
That, no matter your size, We all have a mouse
AND a lion inside."
A mouse feels small and insecure and determines that what he needs to do is learn how to roar like a lion. He knows he has to act brave when he approaches a lion to learn how. In a hilarious turn of events, the lion is afraid of mice! The mouse comforts the lion, they become friends, and we learn that there's a lion and a mouse inside all of us.
The inspiring text by Rachel Bright and the fun, bold illustrations by Jim Field teach young readers an important lesson. Regardless of how big or mighty we are, we can all live our dreams and do what we want to do. Fans of Aesop's "The Lion and the Mouse" will enjoy The Lion Inside!
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Publishers Weekly
With his bright saucer eyes and huge winglike ears, Mouse looks like he wouldn't fade into any background. And yet, "He got stepped on and sat on./ He missed out on stuff./ Ignored and forgotten.../ his mouse life was tough." Watching how the "shouty and proud" Lion dominates, Mouse decides that he needs to add a roar to his repertoire, and he risks being eaten to offer himself up as a pupil to Lion. But Mouse soon discovers that having a big roar isn't synonymous with having a perfect, fearless life. Bright (the Love Monster books) seems to leave no self-help bromide unturned ("It felt like the scariest thing he could do.../ But if you want things to change, you first have to change you"). But Field (Frog on a Log?) is in top form, offering so many imaginative framings (several spreads contain multiple vignettes, each one a winner) and irreverent characterizations (Lion is a Miles Gloriosus with a mane) that readers will feel carried along by his visual and comedic generosity. Ages 3-5. (May)
Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2—Field's impressive array of perspectives enhances Bright's rhyming text about a downtrodden mouse who longs to live large. Comical cartoon critters of the savanna seem sympathetic to the mouse's leonine ambitions, which lead him to request instruction from the regal roarer himself, despite the possibility of becoming a meal. Tables turn when our mouse is forced to allay the lion's fear of rodents, and the two become pals who together roar with laughter, since "We all have a mouse and a lion inside." Bright's language play ("tinyful," "tippity-toes") works well with Field's hysterical expressions and spot-on composition arrangements. VERDICT There's much to enjoy here, but the basic tale is well-worn. A solid addition for storytime sharing.—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
"A winning picture book by Rachel Bright.... With the Monster, as with many a lonely soul, love arrives when he least expects it in this ultimately happy excursion for 2- to 5-year-olds." — The Wall Street Journal
Praise for Side by Side by Rachel Bright and illustrated by Debi Gliori:
"This sweet story about finding a friend brings together all of the adorable elements of woodland creatures with all the woes of finding the perfect companion.... With pleasant rhyme and delightful illustrations, this title will attract young readers." — School Library Journal
"The text is rhymed... the language is pleasing. The penultimate spread of paired-off buddies — rabbits and foxes and owls and insects — is an affectionate paean to BFFs and/or couples. This sweet celebration of friendship...." — Kirkus Reviews
Rachel Bright is a wordsmith, printmaker, and thinker of happy thoughts. The author-illustrator of several acclaimed picture books, she is passionate about time-honored printmaking techniques. She works from her converted caravan studio, on a farm near the sea in the south of England, where she lives with her partner, a dog called Elvis, and a cat called Superman. lookonthebrightside.co.uk
Mice
Self-confidence
Stories in rhyme
Size
Lion
