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The Time of the Lion
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Table of Contents
About The Book
At night while his village sleeps, young Joseph hears a lion's roar thunderclap across the wide East African Savannah. Joseph's father tells him that it is not the right time to go and meet the lion, but when Joseph sees the lion racing towards him, his great head streaming with gold and his paws as big as drums, a special friendship begins. Every noontime Joseph visits the lion's den. He sleeps beside the lion, meets the lioness, and plays with the young cubs. Then one day, traders come looking for lion cubs and an anxious fear awakens in Joseph: he suspects that his father has betrayed the lions.
This beautiful father/son tale explores an unusual friendship and a child's rite of passage. The Time of the Lion creates a metaphor for the magic of childhood, a time when fantasy is reality, and lions are our friends. The beautiful artwork is the perfect compliment to this tale, capturing the power and mystery of the African Savannah.
Product Details
- Publisher: Beyond Words (August 1, 1998)
- Length: 32 pages
- ISBN13: 9781885223838
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Raves and Reviews
"Kindergarten-Grade 3-Joseph, a young boy who lives in the African Savannah, hears a lion roar and decides that it's time for him to meet it, despite his father's belief that he is too young. As he spends time with the Lion, who is able to talk, the boy relishes the animal's company and watches his young cubs play. When traders come to the village, Joseph fears for the cubs' safety and suspects his father of betraying them. However, his father, too, once played with and learned from the lions and he hides the cubs in earthen pots. The father and son are happily reconciled, while the Lion looks on. The idea of a boy and an animal becoming friends has merit, and yet readers' ability to accept the friendship is undermined by the Lion's excessively metaphorical presentation. Also, the illustrations sometimes show the animal as part of the land itself, the two flowing together in natural harmony. Combine all of this with the practical improbability of hiding lion cubs in pottery and the result is a book with disparate desires: to make the lion both concrete and symbolic. Still, this ambitious text coupled with smooth, sand-washed watercolors will move readers with its raw emotion."
– Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI, School Library Journal
"Ages 4^-8. With stunning watercolor paintings of the east African savanna, this picture book tells an elemental story of a boy and his father and their connection with the wild. It begins with excitement: while the village sleeps, Joseph hears the ROAR of the lion like a thunderclap in the night. Joseph wants to meet the lion, but his father says it isn't time yet. The next day, Joseph sees the lion racing toward him like a glittering sun, and he and the powerful animal make friends. They rest together every noon, and the lion keeps Joseph safe. Then the traders come, and Joseph is scared that his father has betrayed the lion and sold the lion cubs; instead, Joseph discovers that his father has hidden the cubs to save them, just as the lion kept Joseph safe. What's more, his father admits that he was wrong: it is time for Joseph to meet the lion. The final scene is a stirring climax: a close-up embrace of the father and son, with the great lion a part of their love, against the dark sky and the rolling hills. With none of the stiffness of folk art, these pictures have a sense of contemporary village life rooted in the natural world."
– Hazel Rachman, Booklist
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- Book Cover Image (jpg): The Time of the Lion Hardcover 9781885223838
- Author Photo (jpg): Jackie Morris Photograph courtesy of author(0.1 MB)
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- Author Photo (jpg): Caroline Pitcher Photograph courtesy of author(0.1 MB)
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