A Lion is a Lion

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School, Brunswick, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 11, 2018

Review

Dunbar's simple, sing-song text and ink illustrations with pops of color invite the reader to wonder if a lion is still a lion even if he wears a dapper hat and asks you to hoobie-doobie dance and eats all of his vegetables. While the lion appears to have impecable manners, his true nature shows when he eyes his human hosts as dessert. But the girl child pushes back on that predatory lion and shows him the door in this delightful cautionary tale that warns that, yes, a lion is still a lion. Not a primary purchase, but a fun one to have for a read-aloud or storytime.

Overall Book Score: very good