LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
Thanks to Scallywag Press, the wit and wisdom of Jon Agee is becoming more familiar to UK audiences and this delightful picturebook will only add to his growing reputation.
The tale is told with characteristically few words and his distinctive black line that outlines the setting and characters, filled with soft-coloured chalk pastel washes. Comical details pepper each spread, whether in the background (for example, a certificate from Harvard School of Claw) or through the expressive faces of the characters.
Lions are a popular picturebook character from Ed Vere’s How to be a Lion to The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright and so one can see why our young hero might choose to take Lion Lessons rather than violin or karate. Most of the boy’s attempts to master the essential characteristics of a ferocious feline, such as speed, agility, the loudest roar, and the ability to pounce, end with less than satisfactory results, “The lion checked my scores. ‘This is not very promising.’” The lion’s wry expressions and droll criticism: “We do not eat spaghetti”, provide lots of laughs for both adult and child readers.
Everyone will be rooting for the little boy who channels his inner big cat to save a little kitten from the bully neighbourhood dog, as he triumphs in the last lesson of Looking Out For Your Friends. Another Jon Agee treat to enhance your picturebook collection.
Joy Court
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About
Lion Lessons Synopsis
With the wit and read-aloud appeal of Peter Brown's Children Make Terrible Pets and William Steig's Pete's a Pizza, this funny, fierce picture book teaches kids just what it takes to be a great lion
There are seven steps to becoming a proper lion, including Looking Fierce, Roaring, Prowling Around, and Pouncing. Our young hero, a rather meek and scrawny human boy, does his best to learn the necessary skills during his training with a master instructor (who just happens to be a real lion). After a grueling set of lessons, the boy discovers that that the final step-Looking Out for Your Friends-is the most important of all. That's how any kid can earn his lion diploma (not to mention the affection of every cat in town).
About This Edition
ISBN: |
9780803739086 |
Publication date: |
5th July 2016 |
Author: |
Jon Agee |
Illustrator: |
Jon Agee |
Publisher: |
Rocky Pond Books an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group |
Format: |
Hardback |
Pagination: |
32 pages |
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Press Reviews
Jon Agee Press Reviews
'This fun journey of character development neatly turns the conversation from the cowardice of bullies to what it means to be lionhearted, all in a delightful, subduedly comic package.' Booklist, starred review
'Agee's sentences are short and punchy, and he carves out gouache shapes in thick, deliberate ink outlines. He sets up a ridiculous situation with a straight face, approaching it with understated humor and leonine confidence.' Publishers Weekly, starred review
'An outstanding read-aloud and a rewarding story.' Horn Book, starred review
Praise for The Wall in the Middle of the Book;
‘One of the most powerful picture books of the year’ – Scotsman
‘Don’t miss’ - LoveReading4Kids
Author
About Jon Agee
Jon Agee is the author and illustrator of many acclaimed books for children, including Life on Mars, Lion Lessons, Little Santa and The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau.
He has been long listed for the UKLA award with The Wall in the Middle of the Book and It's only Stanley, and in America he has won an Irma Black Honor, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor and much more. Jon's life sales are over 2 million copies. He is also the creator of a series of popular wordplay books, beginning with the collection of palindromes: Go Hang a Salami! I'm a Lasagna Hog!
Jon grew up along the Hudson River in Nyack, New York, and went to college at The Cooper Union School of Art in New York City. He now lives in California with his wife, Audrey.
Terrific and Milo's Hat Trick between them have won New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Books, ALA Notable Book, Horn Book Fanfare, PW Best Books of the Year, Book Sense Top Ten Pick and LA Times Best Children's Picture Books Miami Herald Top Ten.
More About Jon Agee