Giulia e il leone

Jill #2

by Lesley Barnes

Giulia sta leggendo la sua storia preferita quando s'imbatte in un maestoso Leone al quale il vile Direttore di un circo ha rubato la corona. La bambina si fa coraggio e salta dentro il libro per aiutare il Leone, ma atterra nel bel mezzo di un capitolo molto pericoloso! Nessun problema, con il fido Cane al suo fianco Giulia non ha paura di nulla e farà di tutto per riportare a casa il re della giungla. Questa meravigliosa celebrazione dell'amicizia e del coraggio ci insegna che non è la corona a renderci importanti, ma ciò che abbiamo dentro

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

38 pages, Hardcover

Published November 2, 2017

About the author

Lesley Barnes is an award winning illustrator and animator based in Glasgow. Her distinctive, bright and joyful work spans the worlds of fashion, music, children’s literature, film and product design. Lesley has created exclusive product ranges for both the V&A and the Tate Museums in London. Other clients include Scottish band Belle & Sebastian, Clinique, Glamour Magazine, The Sunday Times Style, Random House, The Folio Society, Puffin Books, and children’s magazines Anorak and OKIDO. She is the author and illustrator of three children's books.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

The illustrations are amazing, so well designed, beautiful colours, very appealing style and so interesting! These would make a beautiful duvet cover, poster art etc.

I found the story quite weak and don't like to see performing wild animals in a circus. However the illustrations are great, so well worth a look.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jill, the young girl with a love for happy endings and a penchant for interfering in her story-books, whose first meta-fictional adventure was chronicled in Jill & Dragon , returns in this second picture-book. Reading a story about the circus with her canine companion Dog, Jill is dismayed when the lion in her book begins to weep, and speaks to her from the page, telling her that he has been kidnapped from the jungle, and that his crown has been stolen by the circus-master. Jumping in to the book, Jill and Dog struggle to free Lion, get his crown back, and return him to his home...

Like its predecessor, Jill & Lion pairs an engaging meta-fictional tale, one in which the main character is both reader and heroine, with immensely appealing illustrations. I really enjoy Lesley Barnes' artwork, and wish that Tate Publishing, based in London, included some information on the colophon as to the media used, the way that many American publishers do. It looks to be some kind of collage, or perhaps some kind of block-printing? Whatever the case may be, the result is both stylized and expressive, with a lovely color palette that is both subtle and vivid, and a real sense of motion and energy on each page. Children who enjoy adventure stories, or meta-fictional tales about characters who get involved in their books, will appreciate Jill & Lion, as will anyone who read Jill's first adventure.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning illustrations - I'd frame any of them on my wall. The story is a little weak and the prose isn't great, but the illustrations make it totally worth a look.

[Jennifer Choi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A celebration of bravery, friendship in this retro styled illustrated picture book. An adventure between Jill, her dog and this time, a Lion (the previous book was a dragon). This beautiful story tells us that outer appearances (a crown) do not matter and it is what is on the inside that counts.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great illustrations actively help tell the story of Jill, her dog and a circus lion.

[Juliaruth readsalot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the illustrations

[Jennifer Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dozen stars for the illustrations. So so gorgeous. The story was okay.

[Book Magpie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What talented illustrators we have in Scotland! Absolutely beautiful childrens book by Lesley Barnes <3

[Yorky Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

stunning artwork work. I loved the colours and the style, very bold and cheery but with a quirkiness that made it stand out 😍

[Malinka Tecka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly, this one wasn't a winner for me.

The story doesn't have a structure, doesn't make much sense, and making it out to be the titular girl's idea is a bit of a cop-out. At first, I thought the illustrations, which feel like a retro tribute to those appearing in children's books from the 60s-70s, were the saving grace of the book. But upon closer inspection, they started to feel indistinguishable from each other and my enthusiasm waned altogether.

5/10

[Casandria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A crazy romp of a book that deconstructs the story-book relationship in a fun way. Tough one for story time though...
Books
Circus