If You See a Lion

*Be Your Own Cat* The book starts with a startling sentence, where we are told that there is no story because a lion has eaten it all up. The reader is encouraged to look for this lion on all the pages and to make a loud sound if they find him. In fact, the lion is right there in the thick of the action, trying to hide in plain sight while he recounts dastardly things he’s done, like eating other creatures and even a forest in his desire to remain king. Near the end of the book, a rabbit calls him out, suggesting that he doesn't have to do these terrible things and that he should just be himself, the lion that is in his heart. Later pages then show him leading a parade with the other characters. He still leads, but since he is now a better creature, he has new friends. The illustrations in this book are cute and would certainly appeal to younger children. What's fun about this book is the first part is set up as if the lion sharing the story isn't a lion; he puts an eye patch on—so now, a pirate! Kids will have silly fun when asked to find the lion—it’s right there in a not-so-good disguise! The lion also warns the reader multiple times about how they should shriek, yell, and make other loud noises if they ever see a lion. The book had a good message about being yourself. Because of all the interaction, I think this would be a great read aloud. We don't see any violence on the pages, though the eating of so many lovable characters—including unicorns—might be disturbing to some young children. I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.