School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-In this German import, a lion is relentlessly mocked for his small stature. A crocodile, leopard, and hippopotamus laugh, stick out their tongues, and question his identity with disparaging comments such as, "You are too small to be a lion." The constant jeers shake the cub's self-confidence, making him feel "teeny-weeny." Müller's evocative digital illustrations show the forlorn lion sitting in the hippo's gigantic shadow, looking and feeling even smaller. While gazing at the night sky, the little lion recognizes the impossibility of ever being big enough to touch the moon. A wise raven offers words of encouragement ("You must reach for it") and a clever plan. The next evening, the lion stands on tiptoe and stretches his paw as far as it can reach. From the perspective of the amazed animals gathered at the base of the hill, the lion succeeds in touching the moon. Readers will cheer at the lion's triumph and his unpretentious, classy grand exit: "The little lion shook his little lion's mane, roared a great little lion's roar, and walked away smiling." VERDICT With its empowering message, this picture book will spark discussions on bullying and self-esteem issues. An effective read-aloud for group sharing.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ont. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Because he's unusually small, a lion is taunted mercilessly by a leopard, hippopotamus, and crocodile. Then, prompted by a helpful raven, the little lion uses a clever trick of perspective to show everyone he's big enough to touch the moon, leaving the bullies satisfyingly speechless. Thick, skillfully applied black outlines add texture to the expressive digital illustrations in this German import. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A very small lion is made to feel even smaller and more insignificant when the leopard, hippopotamus, and crocodile bully him mercilessly.They laugh uproariously, stick out their tongues, and taunt him about his size. They tell him that real lions are so large that they are able to touch the moon with their paws. Discouraged, the sad little lion gazes at the moon and realizes the impossibility of such an action. A kind raven comes up with a plan. The raven tells all the animals to come to the hill to see something extraordinary. The moon hangs over the hill and the little lion stretches his paw toward the moon, and, from below, it seems as if his paw is actually touching the moon. Most of the animals cheer, but his tormentors remain silent. The little lion smiles and roars a "great little lion's roar." The bullies are relentless, mean-spirited, and rather ignorant, and the little lion is fortunate to have a kind and resourceful friend in the raven. The outcome of Mller's cautionary tale is satisfying when the bullies get their comeuppance, but there's little sense that he might go on to explore other, independent solutions in the future. The mostly double-page spreads of computer-generated illustrations depict expressive, sharply defined animals; the little lion has a mane, so he is a diminutive adult rather than a cub. Shadows, body language, and some unexpected touches add depth to the tale. Charming. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
