I work with young writers all the time. Sure, not with children as young as Chryseis Knight when she wrote The Great Big Lion, but seven and eight-year-olds often send me stories and poems to read. Sometimes, especially with slightly older children – about the age of 11 or 12 – I am amazed at the scope of their ideas and world building. When it comes to younger ones, I love how uninhibited they are. At my writers’ club, for instance, I am constantly struck by the fact that children aren’t daunted by the idea of writing a poem or a story in ten minutes!
The Great Big Lion reminded me of all these stories in so many ways. It’s a simple, sweet story about two children and an animal.
Tom and Lily hunt everywhere for their friend, a great big lion. This simple idea forms the framework of an appealing story for young children.
I love the colours on the pages where the lion roars. I liked each roar, much more than I liked the lion and the children!
But more, I liked the exploration of opposites – high and low, up and down, and right and left. The structure of this book, with its main storyline and these opposites, makes the story what it is.
Title
Author
Chryseis Knight
Tags
Board book, picture book, animal story
Rating (out of 5)
Age-group
0-4
The publishers sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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