Leon's Lesson: A Moral Lesson on Empathy and Honesty

by Marie Zhang, Hibah Habibah (Illustrator)

Parents, it’s no secret that empathy is learned—if your child struggles with this concept, then this book is a must-read!

Leon ends up enjoying his first day of school, despite being nervous at the start. The very reason that makes him enjoy school tempts him into making some bad decisions. Leon doesn't think it's all that bad until the same thing happens to him. What bad decisions did he make? How will he eventually choose to handle this situation?

This beautifully illustrated, poignant tale of the importance of empathy and honesty will keep your child entertained while teaching them a vital moral lesson.

Perfect for daycares, doctor’s offices, school settings, and every household with children, this book imparts valuable wisdom, encourages positive behavior, and reinforces that we should be honest and empathetic no matter what happens in life. Leon's Lesson also makes a great gift!

34 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 22, 2022

About the author

Marie Zhang has dreamed of being an author ever since she started reading at a young age. She was born in Singapore, raised in Perth, Australia, and is currently working as an English teacher in Taiwan. Along with a love of writing, she also has a passion for languages, and is learning Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, and Korean. So far, Marie has published two books, Leon’s Lesson and Gwen’s Gratitude, which are part of a moral series that strives to teach children to become better members of society. With her stories, Marie wants to make a difference in the world, and hopes to inspire and empower young kids to do the same.

Reviews

[Rosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of this book but didn’t care much for the implementation.

The story centres around Leon, who is very nervous on his first day at school. Inside his classroom, he notices that his classmates own some cool things. He decides to filch these objects, assuming that the other kids won’t be bothered. However, when his own pen goes missing, he realises how it feels to lose a favourite object and decides to return whatever he took.

As I said, the idea is excellent. Kids need to think in terms of empathy and the book offers this lesson in a great way. The illustrations are pretty nice.

However, I wasn’t a fan of the writing style and plot structure:

• The book is written in rhythmic verse, which seems very forced on almost every page.

• The fact that it was Leon’s first day at school and he was nervous has nothing to do with the rest of the story. In fact, he doesn’t seem nervous at all while stealing the objects and even looks with disdain at the kids searching for their belongings.

• I would have loved to see Leon apologise personally to the kids rather than slipping an anonymous handwritten note saying “Sorry”. He didn’t seem to face any repercussions for his actions.

• On a couple of pages, the verse order didn’t make sense and/or didn’t fit in with the illustrations.

All in all, great message but the implementation could have been far better.

3 stars.

My thanks to Books to Hook Publishing, LLC. and NetGalley for the DRC of “Leon's Lesson”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.




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[Gabrielle Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leon's Lesson is a very cute book that tells the story about a young boy, Leon, who learns the moral lesson of why stealing is wrong. The book does a good job of dealing with the feelings that Leon goes through. The illustrations are also very cute.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is Leon’s first day of school, and he is feeling very unsure of himself. When he enters the classroom, he spies a classmate’s toy top unattended on a nearby desk. Leon likes the top so much, he tucks it in his pencil case before anyone notices him. And even though Leon’s friend becomes upset, Leon says nothing and keeps the toy for himself. Each day, Leon looks for more opportunities to take items of interest, but it is not until he himself loses a favorite object that he comes to realize how his actions have affected those around him. This picture book focuses heavily on the concept of empathy and honesty through the lens of a child who chooses to take others’ possessions without asking. For elementary school-aged students reading this story, the feeling of wanting what others have is recognizable, but it is rare to observe a child acting on those impulses. It is even rarer to observe a child come to realize the effects of his behavior and make amends—especially without the intervention of an adult—but that is what Leon does in this book. Though the writing could benefit from improvement, the text appears in loosely rhyming phrases that are nonetheless straightforward and clear in meaning. Colorful, computer rendered illustrations showcase the emotions of each character involved in this narrative and give newer readers visuals to aid in comprehension of the story, as well. Young readers will empathize with Leon’s desires and will learn from his mistakes as they engage with this short picture book.

I received a copy of this book from the author and I chose to leave this review.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about a little boy who is very interested in the toys and belongings of his classmates. When they aren't looking he decides to take some of their things. He notices their reactions to their lost items but is still excited with his new treasures. It isn't until he loses something of his own that he suddenly starts to realize that losing something you love is sad and that he can help make his classmates feel better by returning things that don't belong to him.

I think this is a great story for young readers who are learning about sharing and taking only what belongs to them. By putting a positive spin on the lesson - that Leon feels good when he returns what he has taken, I think that young children can understand the reasoning behind returning the toy and hopefully learn the lesson without having to actually experience the taking and returning. I think this book would be a great fit for children in the 3-7 age range and would definitely recommend it to families as well as preschool and kindergarten teachers. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this was a good book to read! The story was well written and it was easy to read and understand - Leon's first day at school, he was scared, didn't know what to do and what to expect, unfortunately he took a liking to another child's spinning toy and put it in his own pencil case without permission and hoped that his peer would think it had been misplaced not stolen by Leon and the following day he planned which other items he would steal including a hedgehog chain and a toy train. After losing his own pen he realised how wrong he had been to take the things belonging to others.. It was a nice story and I liked the end BUT I think instead of the notes saying sorry it would have had more impact if he had confessed to what he did and personally apologised. Bit of a cop out just doing an anonymous note. It is 4 stars from me for this one - highly recommended!

[Catherine Craig (Angelic Light) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good book for young children, which tells the story of a little boy called Leon, who starts school, and while he is there, he starts to steal toys from his classmates. One day, he loses one of his own items, and this makes him sad. He realises then that he should give all of the stolen toys back to his classmates, as they must feel sad too. This is a great story for children to read, as it will teach them not to steal things from other people, and it will teach them about honesty and how to care for others. The images in the book are lovely, and the way the book is written is easy to read, and nicely laid out. I loved this book, and I highly recommend it.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honesty, Empathy and a message to not steal

I loved this book. I was hoping to teach my son the importance of empathy, honesty and why stealing is so wrong but the whole time he kept telling me he hopes Leon will give all those toys back and never steal again. By the end of it, he said, "Huh, I sure hope he learned his lesson to never do that again." I would strongly reccommend this book. It is educational, even as a gentle reminder to kids as to why we don't hurt others like this. Thank you!

[Catherine Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great moral story book! Never take things that is not yours without asking. If you d, give it back. Leon took some toys from his friends. When one of his friends finds something of Leon's he gave it back. Leon felt bad after this had happened then have the toys back with a piece of paper where he had written sorry. Have the toys back and he felt so much better. Good lesson for children.

I received a free copy of the book and is voluntarily writing a review

[Jeanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leon learns a lesson when the shoe is on the other foot. In school, he plays pranks on other children thinking he is funny and clever. However, when he becomes the victim, he learns about the feelings of the other children.

It is a valuable catalyst when reading to your children about how to treat others and the big feelings that happen.

A special thank you to Hook Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Illustration, Important Lesson

First and foremost, this story kept my 4 year old focused from start to finish. The illustrations are cute and colourful, with an important and powerful moral lesson about stealing. I thought it was a touch long, and the line-rhyming cadence wasn’t consistent, but overall, a high-quality book.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

The new boy in school starts to steal things from the other kids, until he doesn't, the end. This is a book that is too much the lesson and not enough the entertainment, however meaningful it is and however colourfully it is presented. The verse narrative is almost down to a half-rhyme far too often, as well, and therefore is neither one thing nor the other.

[Marichus Real · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to learn about not stealing and being honest
Leon didn’t realize what he was doing until one day he had lost something he likes a lot. The sadness he felt made him think and understand.
Honesty is a great gift and should be encouraged at home and at school.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[tburbr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know that I would call his a moral lesson on empathy and honesty. It is a lesson about stealing, which children should have learned long before they reach school age.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Zinzee Noel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the overall message of the book. Leon learned his lesson that one shouldn't steal. However I thought that he should have owned up and told the kids that he was the one that stole their stuff and apologized to them face to face.