A Lion in the Meadow by Margaret Mahy illustrated by Jenny Williams

"Mother, I'm scared to go into the meadow, because of the lion which is there."

This is a famous Margaret Mahy book from 1969. I picked up a copy in mint condition at a recent charity book fair for just AUS$1. My copy is the newer one with revised illustrations done in 1986.

In this delightful children's story, a young boy's vivid imagination brings to life a lion that he claims is hiding in the meadow near his home. His mother, initially skeptical, plays along by giving him a matchbox containing a dragon to scare the lion away. As the tale unfolds, the line between fantasy and reality blurs, leading to a heartwarming conclusion where imagination and belief create a world of wonder and possibility, highlighting the power of storytelling and the bond between parent and child. The Greatest Books

Here are some of the original illustrations - I do prefer them:

Publisher blurb: What would you do if you knew there was a lion in the meadow, but your mother doesn't believe you? And when she gives you a matchbox with a dragon hidden inside to scare away the lion, you discover that the dragon is in there too!

Margaret Mahy (1936-2012) was one of New Zealand's most celebrated children's writers. She was the author of more than 150 titles, which have been translated into many different languages and sold around the world. Appointed to the Order of New Zealand in 1993, Mahy also won many global prizes for children's writers, including the Carnegie Medal and the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award from IBBY.

I wonder if A Lion in the Meadow inspired the book The Tiger who Came to Tea. Looking at the dates I guess not. The Tiger who came to Tea was written in 1968 and A Lion in the Meadow in 1969. I can see links between this book and another older book by Margaret Mahy - The Witch in the Cherry Tree also illustrated by Jenny Williams. I found an academic examination of the story in A Lion in the Meadow - the page is filled with advertisements making it hard to read but if you want a deeper analysis of this famous story take a look. I have also discovered that the new edition has a different ending! Juding by the dates I am going to hope or assume Margaret Mahy herself wrote or at least approved of this change.

Original "The mother never ever made up a story again."

New edition "So the lion in the meadow became a house lion and lived in the broom cupboard and when the little boy had apples, stories and a goodnight hug, the lion had apples, stories and a goodnight hug as well."

The Margaret Mahy Treasury

Here is a list of some picture books by Margaret Mahy - my own favourites are Jam; The Great White Man-eating Shark; and The Pumpkin Man and the Crafty Creeper. Click the label Margaret Mahy at the bottom of this post to find my blog posts about some of these.

•  A Dragon of an Ordinary Family (1969)
•  A Lion in the Meadow (1969)
•  The Princess and the Clown (1971)
•  The Boy with Two Shadows (1971)
•  17 Kings and 42 Elephants (1972)
•  The Witch in the Cherry Tree (1974)
•  The Boy Who Was Followed Home (1975)
•  The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate (1976)
•  Jam (1985)
•  The Great White Man-eating Shark (1989)
•  The Pumpkin Man and the Crafty Creeper (1990)
•  The Rattlebang Picnic (1994)
•  Beaten by a Balloon (1997)
•  The Three-legged Cat (2004)
•  Down the Back of the Chair (2006)

  

The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright illustrated by Jim Field

"No matter your size,

We all have a mouse

AND

a lion inside."

There is SO much to love about this book.

Vocabulary
"the sand sparkled gold"
"a mighty flat rock - all craggy and old"
"tinyful"
"toothsome"

Power relationships
Lion is powerful. He has a loud roar, he is strong, he is feared. He is the King Cat.
Mouse is small and insignificant but he aspires to greatness.
Mouse needs to be brave - he knows the only way to learn to roar is to ask Lion.
"But if you want things to change, you first have to change you."
When our little mouse meets the lion he is in for a big shock. Our fearless lion is terrified of mice - now who has the power?

"The mouse, while still little, felt big in his head.
And Lion? He still roared ... but with laughter instead!"

Preschool and Kindergarten participation
As you read this book your child listener/s will anticipate the rhyme.
Everyone will enjoy joining in with a loud ROAR and later an EEEEEEAK!!

Told in rhyme this book is fun, of course, but it also has a nice message about differences and how some people (or animals) are aggressive and loud, and others are meeker and milder, and how really, of course, there's room for all sorts whether it's in your family, your nursery class, or out in the wilds of Africa. The Book Bag


Read more about Rachel Bright and Jim Field.  You may recognise some other books illustrated by Jim Field - they are some of the most popular titles in many library collections:

The Lion and the Bird by Marianne Dubuc

In our busy and noisy world a quiet and poignant picture book like The Lion and the Bird is a special joy.  The story begins in Autumn and as bear is raking leaves he hears a sound and discovers a small bird lying hurt beside a felled tree.  He gently bandages the little bird and carries his new friend home using the warmth of his mane.

Lion brings bird into his cosy living room and gradually they adopt a new daily routine of shared meals, bedtime stories, personal care and sleep. As time moves on winter begins and the world outside is covered with snow. Bird joins in with tobogganing, ice fishing and pleasant evenings by their warm fire.  "... winter doesn't feel all that cold with a friend."

Spring is heralded with a beautiful image of a small crocus flower popping up through the snow. With the coming of spring bird explains (using sign language) that it is time to rejoin his flock.  Bird flies away and  you can just feel Lion's heart breaking. Lion tries to follow his daily routine but nothing feels right now Bird has gone.  "Summer passes slowly, softly. Then one day, autumn returns."

Turn the final pages of this precious book slowly. There is even one completely blank page that perfectly conveys the mood.

You can see nearly every picture from this book here.  If you discuss this book with an older group of children you might like to use this set of review comments.  Here is the web site for Marianne Dubuc.  If you are looking for a very special book to share with one child or a group I highly recommend The Lion and the Bird.

White space—sometimes whole pages—speaks its own language of loss and hope.