The Lion Inside

Perfect Picture Book Friday is back with a tale that inspires empathy and courage.

Title: The Lion Inside
Written by: Rachel Bright
Illustrated by: Jim Field
Scholastic 2016, fiction
Suitable for ages: 3-5
Lexile: AD600
Themes/topics: friendship, shyness, confidence

Opening:
In a dry, dusty place where the sand sparkled gold,
Stood a mighty flat rock —all craggy and old.
And under that rock in a tinyful house,
Lived the littlest, quietest, meekest brown mouse.

Brief synopsis:
A mouse feels small and insecure and determines that what he needs to do is learn how to roar like a lion. He knows he has to act brave when he approaches a lion to learn how. In a hilarious turn of events, the lion is afraid of mice! The mouse comforts the lion, they become friends, and we learn that there’s a lion and a mouse inside all of us.

Activities and Resources:
• Identify your “mouse” and “lion” within. How can you help your “mouse” find its voice? How can your “lion” help someone else?
• Compare and contrast this story to Aesop’s fable about the lion and the mouse.
• Teaching ideas

Why I like this book:
This is a tender tale everyone can identify with. Have you ever felt ignored? Have you ever felt like there’s something inside of you that wants to come out, but you just can’t get there? Did you ever wonder what it’s like to be one of those people who seem to have it all together – confident, bold, the center of attention? In this charming story, the mouse realizes that if he wants things to change, he’s going to have to change himself. It reminds me of the Gandhi quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” (Which seems timelier than ever.) The little mouse just might inspire the courage needed to take a step outside your comfort zone.

Visit author Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Books for a plethora of picture books listed by title and topic/theme, each with teacher/parent resources.