How To Be A Lion: a brilliantly illustrated picture book with an important message

“Meet Leonard – a lion like no other. Leonard’s best friend is Marianne, a duck. But lions chomp ducks, don’t they? And what will the pair do when their way of life is threatened?”

How To Be A Lion is a brilliant tale all about the importance of being yourself, even when everyone around you is telling you you should be a certain way. Leonard isn’t a lion like the rest of the lions… he’s kind, gentle and brilliant. His best friend is a duck, and obviously the rest of the lions eat ducks. So why not Leonard? Because he’s different. But being different is a good thing. It makes you stand out. 

I absolutely adore this book. It has such an important message to deliver, without being preachy or in your face about it. Be yourself, be kind, be different – its those things that make you special. Leonard is so different from the rest of the lions and they’re not nice to him, but he tries not to let it get to him.

I love the illustrations in this book. They’re so simple, yet so effective. I absolutely adore Leonard. He’s such a brilliant lion. He’s gentle and kind. The kids at school have been using this page to draw some lions (I’m stupid enough to NOT have taken any pictures tho *sadface*).

I got this gorgeous postcard with my parcel (thank you to the wonderful humans of Puffin for sending this book to me!) and I ABSOLUTELY adore the message:

“You don’t have to ROAR to be heard”.

I think this book is a brilliant empathy builder and we will be using it at school to go along with some of the other empathy builders we use. Building empathy in kids is so important, and doing it through books is such an effective way to do it. 

Go buy yourself How to be a Lion and be more Leonard. 

What books do you know of that are good empathy builders?
If you could be any animal, what would you be?
Would you like a duck as your best friend?

Share your thoughts with me in the comments. I love this book. I think it’s super special. 

S x