Library Lion | Michelle Knudsen | Friends can come in the most unusual ways

Library Lion | Michelle Knudsen | This one deserves a place on your shelf

books:

Library Lion

	Library Lion Michelle Knudsen Candlewick, 2006 - 48 pages average customer review:based on 39 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

An affectionate storybook tribute to that truly wonderful place: the library.

Miss Merriweather, the head librarian, is very particular about rules in the library. No running allowed. And you must be quiet. But when a lion comes to the library one day, no one is sure what to do. There aren't any rules about lions in the library. And, as it turns out, this lion seems very well suited to library visiting. His big feet are quiet on the library floor. He makes a comfy backrest for the children at story hour. And he never roars in the library, at least not anymore. But when something terrible happens, the lion quickly comes to the rescue in the only way he knows how. Michelle Knudsen's disarming story, illustrated by the matchless Kevin Hawkes in an expressive timeless style, will win over even the most ardent of rule keepers.

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Friends can come in the most unusual ways

"Library Lion" is about, well, it is about many things.

First, it is a good story, a rousing story with a happy ending. Second, it is about books, how we love books and want to have them around us. Third, it is about friendship, how we can find friends in the most unusual places. Fourth, it is about duty, how we can find a place in our world and do all the things we can to make our world run smoothly.

And most importantly, "Library Lion" is about flexability. Sometimes it is necessary and good to break a rule, even though rules keep our world running smoothly. Rules are the glue in happy stories, the making of books, the binding of friendship, and the only way to make a world work without things running amok. Sometimes, we must make exceptions.

Library Lion shows up one day, roars, and learns that roaring is not appropriate in the library. He becomes useful, he becomes a backrest for students, he participates in the care of the library, and he becomes quite fond of Mrs. Merriweather, the head librarian in his new library home.

One day he breaks a major rule to help Mrs. Merriweather when she is involved in a book accident. Mr. McBee, the circulation clerk, scolds Library Lion for roaring. Library Lion disappears. Everyone is sad, especially Mrs. Merriweather. Mr. McBee searches and searches for Library Lion until he finds him and tells him that sometimes rules need to be broken to help others.

Library Lion returns and everyone is happy.

What a delightful story that teaches so many things, but the best thing is love and acceptance. Everyone should be loved and now Library Lion knows he is. The soft colors of the illustrations done in acrylic and pencil are pleasing to the eye and inviting to the imagination. This book is a must-have for all children's libraries, and of course, the home library. After all, the lion is there to help!

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This one deserves a place on your shelf

Librarians will probably love this story more than most, but any child will too. A lion comes to the library one day and eventually captures everyone's heart. My son told me that he thinks the lion thought the library was a place for him because of the stone lions out in front of the library. Beautiful artwork, lovable characters. A true classic.

Will surely become a classic

There are a handful of children's books that make me a little teary because they are simple and beautiful and poignant. Like The Giving Tree. All but one of them I remember from my own childhood. And then there's Library Lion. This is a beautiful feel-good story that really appeals to young kids partly because it is about both a lion and "The Rules" both of which many kids seem obsessed with. I am sure that someday my kids will read this book to their kids for the first time with a tear in their eye as they remember this story from their own childhood.

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Love It! Sweet, Tender and Charming

I love this picture book. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is tender, touching and sweet.

It's about a lion who visits the library and at first makes people nervous and nearly gets thrown out for roaring. But he returns the next day and behaves and everyone enjoys having him around, except for Mr. McBee. The Lion shows up everyday but eventually breaks a rule and even though it's with good reason, he feels he must leave the library, rules are rules after all. Surprisingly it's Mr. McBee who finds Lion and tells him that sometimes, if you have a very good reason, it is alright to break the rules.

I know it's really silly but this book gets me every time.
A beautiful book to share with your children, my kids love this one and so do I.

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A crowd-pleaser!

Amazon recommended me this book quite some time ago, and I'd added it to my three-year-old son's wish list, but we hadn't actually seen it yet. Then I found out that we were going to be seeing my aunt and thought it would be a really great book for her to read for my son as part of a family project. We didn't have time to order, so called a nearby Borders to see if Library Lion was in stock. The Borders employee I talked to on the phone went to check, and when he came back to the phone, the first thing he said was, "This is SO CUTE!" My husband went to get the book, and I was delighted when I read it. The characters, details, illustrations, running themes, and subtle humor are absolutely charming. The lion is a very sympathetic character. The book was better than I'd hoped!
When my aunt arrived, it turned out that she'd just read the book for the first time the day before--her granddaughter had checked it out from the library. After reading the book for my son, she said that she was going to read the book to her kindergarten class right away!
My son loves the parts of the book where the lion roars. It's hilarious to hear a ferocious roar followed by giggles. My aunt loves the references to the no-running-in-the-library rule, and I just love the lion (and the lion statues outside the library). This book is a hit with all ages, and we highly recommend it.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

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