Title: Little Lion Girl

Written by: Olivia Hope

Illustrated by: Fiona Woodcock

Published by: Bloomsbury

Blurb

The city roared like a jungle.
Leonie roared back at the city.
She shook her mane and swished her tail.
She was a lion girl.

Leonie and her mother are off to the big city!
Inspired by the people, sights and sounds, Leonie can’t wait to discover it all.
Her mother tells her to stay close, but there’s SO much to see.
And surely nothing can scare a brave lion girl, can it?

Review

This is a beautiful story, illustrated in bright smudgy pastels about a young girl, Leonie, visiting London with her mother. Leonie notices the people on the underground all look extraordinary and decides she will be extraordinary too by pretending to be Lion Girl.

This picture book will encourage some powerful discussion around feeling nervous and putting on a brave face. Young children will be able to identify with Leonie when she gets lost in the bustling crowd and her new found bravado escapes her. The ending is satisfying and reassuring to young children.

A great resource for a KS1 class to talk about feelings and what to do when they feel lost and afraid. There are themes of being brave and staying calm in a potentially overwhelming situation.

You can buy copies of Little Lion Girl by Olivia Hope and Fiona Woodcock from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org which supports local, independent bookshops