Lizzy's Lion

by Dennis Lee, Marie-Louise Gay (Illustrator)

Lizzy had a lion with a big, bad roar. And she kept him in the bedroom by the closet-cupboard door. The lion had a secret name.

Genres: Picture Books, Canada, Childrens

Paperback

First published July 1, 1984

About the author

Dennis Beynon Lee, OC, MA is a Canadian poet and thinker who lives in Toronto, Ontario. He is also a children's writer.

After attending high school at the University of Toronto Schools, Lee received bachelor's and master's degrees in English from the University of Toronto. He is best known for his children's writings; his most famous work is the rhymed Alligator Pie (1974). He also wrote the lyrics to the theme song of the 1980s television show Fraggle Rock and, with Philip Balsam, many of the other songs for that show. Balsam and Lee also wrote the songs for the television special The Tale of the Bunny Picnic. Lee is co-writer of the story for the film Labyrinth.

Reviews

[Manny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Girl meets lion. Lion meets burglar. Burglar meets nasty end. Girl cleans up evidence. The end.

[DivaDiane SM · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little gruesome (the robber gets munch out of existence), if it doesn't got over your head. But my son loved this book. The drawings are fun and the rhyming story is cute.

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can't go wrong with Dennis Lee poetry and Marie-Loise Gay's illustrations. When a robber breaks into Lizzy's bedroom in search of loot, even the candy he brought along won't stop the lion from putting an end to him.
Bouncing four line rhyming stanzas make this a delight to read out loud and listen to. Don't read it to anyone who has a soft spot for thieves as since one comes to a messy ending.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for young children who would be freaked out by a lion eating a person. However, the rhyming, poetic text is humorous and the story is quirky enough for those who like off-kilter stories.

[Deanna D'errico · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for my young daughter when it first came out. I knew upon reading it that it would appeal to her, because she was fascinated by all things macabre and edgy. It has ended up being one of her all-time favorite books. In fact, she can quote the entire text from memory. Like the best fairy tales, this story embraces and tackles danger but offers a protector against that danger. It's a brilliant book on so many levels. And the fact that it succeeds in rhyming without stretching is quite notable.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favourite books when I was a kid, and now that I have my own, I'm looking forward to reading it to him! It's a funny, quirky (maybe slightly violent) child's book that I would recommend to anyone with a sense of humour.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic children's book. My son (almost three years old) is currently obsessed with this one. We've read it every night for almost two weeks and he shows no signs of slowing down. Completely enjoyable for adults as well. I appreciate the wit and the dark core of this story!