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Vendor
Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
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THERE'S A LION IN THE FOREST!

Mônica Carnesi

In a funny story that cleverly illustrates the importance of gathering evidence before drawing conclusions, the animals of a tropical forest claim there's a lion among them, even though there are no lions in South America... or are there?
When Toucan hears a deep, growly growl one day, he's alarmed! It can only mean one thing: THERE'S A LION IN THE FOREST! Capybara and Coati scoff at first - everyone knows there aren't any lions in South America because they live on savannas, not in tropical forests! But when the growls keep coming, and they get a glimpse through the trees of a long, terrifying tail and a thick, menacing mane, they're not so sure.
Young readers will get a kick out of sleuthing along with the forest animals as they try to get to the bottom of this sweetly suspenseful mystery in a rhythmic text that begs to be read aloud.

Mônica Carnesi (monicacarnesi.com) also wrote and illustrated CCBC Choice Sleepover with Beatrice and Bear, as well as Little Dog Lost, which was a Horn Book Fanfare Book, a Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book, a Bank Street Best Book, and winner of the Gryphon Honor Award. She is an artist and librarian, which allows her to combine her love for illustration and passion for children's literature. Mônica lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Book

Published 2022-02-08 by Nancy Paulsen Books

Comments

Portuguese (Brazil): Globo

A speedy tempo and patterned text punctuated by the repeated refrain of "There's a lion in the forest" will ensure a lively storytime...

...a fine mix of story and fact, an amusing combination of anticipation and information with a cartoonlike, funny cast of characters... Entertaining and edifying.

The story is fast-paced and funny, humorously focusing on the (correct) assessment that lions simply don't roam South America. Pleasing alliteration ("growly growls," "terrifying tails") and repeating phrases make for a lively read-aloud. Accompanying illustrations are cartoonish and colorful, capturing an impressive range of emotions. Back matter introduces the range of unusual forest critters in more detail, along with a call for conservation. A merry mystery for a boisterous bedtime read.

...the lesson in the dangers of jumping to conclusions is delivered with good humor and a very appealing cast of animal characters.