Caring for Your Lion by Tammi Sauer illustrated by Troy Cummings

Image credit Amazon.com

Caring for Your Lion by Tammi Sauer illustrated by Troy Cummings (2017)

by AHK

When you've ordered a new pet kitten and a lion is delivered instead, surely some adjustments need to be made. Never fear, your new lion comes with some handy-dandy IKEA-inspired do-it-yourself instructions. In fourteen easy steps, learn to appreciate your ferocious new pet. This is a title where the illustrations add a great amount of subtext--sometimes adding to the text and other times subverting the text. Fortunately, it can be read to a group without needing a lot of interpretation, making it a good option for storytimes and class visits.

Themes/topics: Lions, pets, making do, funny, school visits

Sample text from two spreads: 

Step 10: At bath time, fill the tub with equal parts water and lion.  Then add a smidge of bubble bath. Be sure to have your camera ready for some adorable photos [illos. show boy and lion cooperating on getting the bath ready, then both in the bath with bubbles]

Step 11:  Post-bath, your lion is half his normal size. Do. Not. Panic. Simply grab a blow dryer and get busy. (Expect a teensy big of shedding). [illos. show lion going from small and bedgraggled to a huge "Fwoof!" of mane with fur shedding everywhere].