The true story behind it
Everyone hears “lion” and pictures the king of the jungle. I wanted to do the opposite, so Leo is a music teacher who plays the flute. The point I was after, for my own son and for any kid, is that you don’t have to become the thing everyone expects. Where I’m from, children get nudged toward a short list, doctor, engineer, lawyer. But there should be room for every kind of path. A lion doesn’t have to rule anything. He can just make music.
What happens in the story
Kitty and Dino hear sad music drifting over a sunny field. They find Leo, a big lion with a golden mane and a leaf flute, sitting in the dry grass with tears on his face. He’s a music teacher, and he has to play at the big forest music show tonight. But the hot sun has dried out his mane, his flute and his throat. He’s worried he’ll let his students down.
So Kitty and Dino fix one thing at a time. Dino grows tiny fresh leaves in Leo’s mane to keep his head cool. Kitty blows a soft wind into the flute, and the dry leaf turns green again. When Leo starts to cough, Kitty makes a little rain cloud right over his open mouth.
Then comes the last problem. The show starts at sunset, and it’s a long way off. Dino grows giant sunflowers with flat leaves for seats, Kitty’s wind sends them flying, and off they go to beat the sun.
Looking for a children’s book about lions?
Nearly every lion in a picture book is the king of something. Leo teaches music, plays a leaf flute, and cries when his song goes wrong. That’s a gentle kind of lion to meet at bedtime.
He also says a line grown-ups need as much as kids do: “Even a teacher needs help sometimes.” Handy for the child who would rather struggle alone than ask.
Look inside
Flip through the opening, right up to the moment Kitty and Dino meet Leo.
Questions to ask after reading
A few questions for the minute after the book closes. There are no wrong answers.
- Leo cried when his music went wrong. What do you do when something you care about isn’t working?
- Kitty and Dino fixed Leo’s problems one at a time. Which fix did you like best?
- Leo said, “Even a teacher needs help sometimes.” Who helps you?
Perfect for
- ✓ Little music lovers
- ✓ The kid who doesn’t fit the mold everyone expects
- ✓ A child who finds it hard to ask for help
- ✓ A birthday gift with a bit of quiet backbone
Quick answers
Give a kid permission to be exactly who they are
One short story. One lion who plays the flute. Ready for tonight.
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