My Four Lions

Joan Buchanan is a children’s writer and storyteller. She is the
author of Taking Care of My Cold!, What If I Were in Charge?, Nothing
Else But Yams for Supper!, and The Nana Rescue.

Using his imagination, a little boy turns his home and the city in which
he lives into a jungle. He then transforms some cutout paper lions into
real ones, who are all glad to see him. Together the little boy and his
lion friends enjoy their exciting life in the jungle.

At one level, this enjoyable picture book is about taming the dark and
taking one’s place in the world. Children will be empowered by the
story, as well as entertained. The text is short, usually one sentence
for every two pages. The left-hand page depicts reality (e.g., a boy
returning home from school to play by himself at home), while the
right-hand page is an imagined adventure (e.g., the boy camping out with
his pet lions).

Joanne Stanbridge’s expressive watercolors evoke childhood in
Montreal winter with energy and youthful passion. This moving,
whimsical, simple story is a pleasure. Highly recommended.