If I Were a Lion[IF I WERE A LION][Paperback]

by SarahWeeks

If I Were a Lion <> Paperback <> SarahWeeks <> AladdinPaperbacks

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Storytime, Fiction, Humor

Paperback

First published February 24, 2004

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I was just in the wrong mood when I read this because I did not like it, but I see it has a very high rating here on GoodReads. It's a story (told nicely in rhyme, good for read-aloud) about a little girl whose mother says she is "too wild" and makes her take a time out in the corner. The girl amuses and defends herself by saying all the ways she is NOT wild, comparing herself to various wild animals who have much worse behavior than she does.

I thought the cover illustration looked cute but this is one I probably would not have picked up had I thumbed through it on the library shelf instead of reserving it through the district website. I was not a fan of the illustrations; the little girl looked very odd and almost gremlin-like to me and most of the wild animals looked disproportioned and frightening. While I am sure this is just meant to be a fanciful story, I just couldn't warm up to the idea of the little girl saying so many unkind things about animals. There are so many children's books where carnivores, especially, get bad raps and I wasn't keen to see yet another one.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

While 'strong-willed' children may not need any further encouragement, the little red-head in this picture book is fairly bursting with personality, and her imaginative verse and the expressive illustrations are sure to draw a smile. It is perhaps best appreciated by parents and siblings of such a child. www.GoodReadingGuide.com

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sitting in my time out chair, because my mother put me there!

Don't you just love it? She's not there because she misbehaved, oh no! She's not WILD. That's so absurd! Her mother has clearly lost it, because THIS little girl is not ferocious. THIS little girl does not bite. Oh, NO.

It's so true to how kids (and, frankly, many grown-ups) think. Even though she does calm down and apologize in the end, we're never told what she did wrong, exactly.

Some of the rhymes and scansion is a bit forced, but I like this book well enough anyway.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

The little girl's face scares me. Other than that, the illustrations are gorgeous.

[Helena Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I Were a Lion by Sarah Weeks is such a fun and clever read that perfectly captures a child’s imaginative spirit. The story follows a young narrator who’s been sent to the tim out chair, accused by her mother of being “wild.” Of course, she insists that’s completely absurd and from there, her imagination takes over. She wonders, what if she really were wild? What if she were a lion, roaring and knocking dishes to the floor, or a bear stomping through the house?

The rhyming text is lively and full of energy, making it a joy to read aloud. I loved how the author takes something every child can relate to being misunderstood or unfairly punished and turns it into a playful, creative exploration. The humor is spot on, and the rhythm of the words keeps the story moving with a bounce that will make kids want to join in.

It’s a wonderful reminder of how rich a child’s imagination can be, even in moments of frustration. I could almost hear the little voice insisting on her innocence while coming up with all these animal scenarios. It’s charming, relatable, and full of personality definitely a book that will bring smiles to both kids and parents.

[Olivia S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this. Great rhyme scheme, cute concept. A girl is put in time out for being too wild, but she imagines how much wilder she would be if she were all different kinds of animals. As the story progresses, many of the animals aren't specifically named, so it would be good for asking "What kind of animal is this?" At the end they all turn into her stuffed animals and she cleans them up, which I'm a sucker for. The illustrations are good, but I'm not in love with the style. Will use for an anger storytime. 3+

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an adorable rhyming story. A little girl is being way too rambunctious and acting wild for her mother, so she has to sit in the time-out chair to settle down. Her child thinks about all the wild animals she could be, but isn't, and the wild things they would do, which she doesn't. At the end of the story, she has moved her chair ... cute ending which shows her toys. Beautifully illustrated.

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful and perceptive book about feelings and being "too wild." Illustrations are sumptuous and action-filled. I am happy to see a book about loudness/rambunctiousness/naughtiness that has a girl at its center.

[Kristen Dutkiewicz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite the higher reviews, this was simple not my favorite children’s book. I don’t see me reading it again to my students.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was really good! it held the attention of many children for a long period of time and the pictures were great to!

[Cheya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for my first granddaughter 13 years ago. It was her favorite (and mine). Now I'm reading it to my 2nd granddaughter. Definitely worth checking it out if you've never read it.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the rhyming felt a bit forced. Not a bad book, but also not a good book.

[kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

wanted to like it more than i did

[Caranna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant rhyming read-aloud.
Great new vocabulary words and fun, colorful pictures.

[Jeimy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe I would have liked it more if the kid wasn’t so creepy looking.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book. The Heather M Solomon illustrations are cute, too.

[Toniwake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this book with my kids when they were young. They were wild, too and enjoyed the book!

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the rhyme scheme and the exploration of what it means to be wild.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Payton and I could recite this after just a couple of reads. It is one of my very favorite children's books.

"I'm sitting in the time out chair because my mother put me there. She said, 'You try my patience child. I do not like it when you're wild' Wild, who me? That's so absurd! How could she even use that word?"

Such a fun book!

[Kate McCartney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love love love this book. It starts with her Mother saying "You try my patience, child! I do not like it when your wild?" While in her time-out, the adorable red haired 3 year old, considers what wild really means (lions, bears, orcas, frogs, wolves...), while maintaining her innocences of being wild(She is "precocious and polite.")

This is my favorite picture book of the year.

[Phuong Dao · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a little girl who was in trouble and she was sitting in timeout. While she was in timeout she was thinking about alot of animal that she could be. For example she uses words to describe what wild would be and what her mom said about her was wrong. This book is good to teach children about rhyming and how to rhyme. It is also has good vocabulary for them to learn.

[kaitlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations in this story—minus those of the little girl for some reason—are the best part. The idea is cute and rhymes are always appreciated by the kindergartners, though some of the rhymes and rhythms felt a little forced. It wasn't a big hit with the kindergartners, but I think it would work really well in a smaller, familial setting to teach about manners and apologizing.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't care for the illustrations (particularly those of the girl--she's reminiscent of Gollum in the Lord of the Rings movies), or the story (the girl protests against her mother's calling her wild by comparing herself to what she knows about wild animals while sitting in time-out). This one was a flop with my four-year-old daughter, too.

[Danielle Pazillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was adorable. I love how the illustrations and words both worked together to really capture the little girls imagination. I would definitely want to read this in a classroom, I think it is the type of book that kids will enjoy and laugh at because the little girl is easy to relate to. Little kids hate being yelled at or told what to do and this is her expressing herself.

[Greta · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations really work well in this story. I loved that the author uses correct grammar-subjunctive clause-when most people don't even have a clue what that is. It is a really fun story, too, especially if you have, have ever had or know any young children.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great kids' book about a little girl who is so wild she gets put in time out and must defend herself. As the parent of a frequent time-outer, I like reading this to my son. He loves it too. Great illustrations!

[Krissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet and clever book about a little girl on time-out for being wild. She spends her punishment explaining that SHE is not wild (only her animals). What's even better than the story, though, are the incredible illustrations. The art has such fabulous colors, textures and patterns.

[Rakisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The humor in the books is really for the parents of children, but kids will be delighted by the animal sounds and the vibrant illustrations. They will sympathize with the unnamed is put on "time out" for misbehaving.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet illustrations and a nicely paced story. I really enjoyed this tale of a rambunctious, imaginative child put in Time Out and the myriad animals she imagines who are much more badly behaved than she.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has incredibly beautiful illustrations, though I do not care for the little girl—somehow the animals and surroundings came off as artsy and quirky and the little girl is downright creepy to me. But overall, it's a fun book to read aloud.