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Monday, March 20, 2023

We Are Lions, words by Jens Mattsson and pictures by Jenny Lucander. Translation by B.J. Woodstein. Groundwood Books, 2023. $19.99 ages 4 and up


"One day, my brother doesn't want to run 
around the savanna. His stomach hurts. 

I call him a poopy gazelle, but he doesn't 
even growl. He just whines. It's boring. 

My brother has to go to the doctor."

Here are two boys whose imaginations allow them adventure as lions out on the savanna. They are hungry, noisy, and very brave. Gazelles and wildebeest should be very worried. They are silent as they pursue their prey. Then the scene quickly changes from an imagined plain to their own backyard, but the envisioning continues. 

Things change even more quickly when the big brother gets sick. A trip to the doctor is quickly arranged; the little one stays home with his mom. The trips to the doctor become more frequent and medicine is plentiful, finally followed by time in the hospital. The endless time spent there is hard on the young boy; he is told to be calm and still. He cannot control his wildness. While he turns the bathroom into a wet and slippery place, his brother roars weakly from his bed. The lions are having trouble adapting. 

When the opportunity presents itself, the two make a break for it with the wheelchair; off to the savanna where they cause chaos for some of the older patients. It isn't long until they are captured, chastised for being naughty, and returned to the sick room. Their days spent together in the hospital become a sharing time for the two. Tales from preschool, long hours spent lying together in the hospital bed, and the wam comfort of family. 

They may not be lions for now; they will be again. They will hunt once more. 

This book is a wonderful example of what happens when a story beautifully told is matched by equally strong and wonderful artwork. Using line drawings, watercolor, and digital collage, Ms. Lucander helps readers understand the story to be serious and heartbreaking. Filled with tenderness, it provides opportunity for discussion for all who share it. 

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