Deep in the Jungle [Hardcover]

Dan Yaccarino (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

The lion is king of the jungle...just ask any of the other animals. All he has to do is open his mouth --

RRRROOAAR!

-- to remind them. Now a slick lion tamer is promising to make him king of the circus. But this time, the lion might not have such an easy time convincing everyone he's king. Children will roar with laughter as a jungle bully gets his well-deserved comeuppance and becomes a jungle pussycat in Dan Yaccarino's hilarious tongue-in-cheek fable.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The mighty lion is king of the jungle--or bully of the jungle, depending on who's telling the story. He demands that the monkeys fan him with giant leaves, the leopards bring him food, and the elephants provide him shade. The animals can't stand him one bit.

One day, a smooth-talking city fellow is roaming through the jungle when the lion leaps on him and exclaims, "I am the king of this jungle! Now prepare to be eaten!" ("Rrrrroar!" he added.) As it turns out, the slick, plaid-jacketed man appreciates a good gut-splitting roar when he hears one. When he tells the lion that he can make him a big star, the self-important feline is only too pleased to come along with him. (And his harassed jungle companions are only too pleased to be rid of him.) But life in the big city is not all it's cracked it up to be. The lion finds himself in degrading circumstances, being forced to respond to a snapping whip in a circus ring. It's time to take matters into his own hands--or teeth, as the case may be.

This hilariously dry tale of comeuppance and redemption will become an immediate favorite with readers from jungle to city and everywhere in between. Dan Yaccarino's cool retro-style gouache paintings also enliven the pages of Circle Dogs, An Octopus Followed Me Home, and If I Had a Robot. (Ages 3 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

In perhaps his best-realized picture book yet, Yaccarino (Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! I'm Off to the Moon) takes a tongue-in-cheek look at an arrogant king of beasts. This lion bullies his subjects, including frowning brown monkeys and irritated blue elephants. " 'I'm afraid I must eat you,' he explained, 'if you don't obey me....' The animals couldn't stand him one bit." One day, a city slicker arrives in the jungle and appeals to the lion's ego, promising to make him a big star if he leaves the jungle. The lion agrees, and Yaccarino cuts to an image of jubilant creatures, who are "more than happy to be rid of" their annoying boss. With their rounded bodies, rendered in curving strokes of gouache, the characters resemble plush toys, but their black-button eyes and single-line smiles express their moods. Rather than taking a Curious George or The Story of Babar approach, Yaccarino upends the traditional tale of captivity. The lion resents being put on a leash and forced to do circus tricks. Such humiliating treatment forces him to take extreme measures; having eaten his would-be tamer, he gallops home to apologize to his old companions. With short, sharp sentences and mild sarcasm, Yaccarino humorously twists the savage-versus-civilized formula. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum/Anne Schwartz Books; 1st edition (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689822359
• ISBN-13: 978-0689822353
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,654,748 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dan has written and illustrated over three dozen children's books and has had the pleasure of working with some of the most prestigious names in children's literature, including Margaret Wise Brown, Jack Prelutsky, Kevin Henkes and Naomi Shabib Nye. Dan has also had the honor of being invited to the White House to share his books and to participate in the annual Easter festivities.

Dan's also created and produced Nickelodeon's animated series, Oswald, as well as the upcoming Willa's Wild Life.

Currently, Dan is writing and illustrating more books and is developing more television as well as feature film projects.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What exactly does this teach a child?, May 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Deep in the Jungle (Hardcover)

I was at first very interested in this book- hoping that it would be of value for teaching my nephew how to deal with his roaring at his sisters in order to get his way. After reading it a few times- I am more and more uncomfortable with the message of the lion eating/killing the people in order to solve his problems. Killing is not a lesson that I want to offer as the solution to the problems of this world.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bossy!, October 20, 2001

By 

missytini (va) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deep in the Jungle (Hardcover)

I got this for my 2 1/2yr old, she loves it! The illustrations are catchy and the content, well its allabout bossiness and where it gets ya,,,,
this book is humourously different! yeah, the lion eats the tamer, but its all about what goes around comes around....the lion learns that friends are more important than anything! Great book!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Showbiz you know, February 6, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Deep in the Jungle (Hardcover)

Dan Yaccarino's illustrations of animals and people, rather geometric in shape and in matte primary colors, goes perfectly with the simple story line of a lion who leaves his wild home for fame at the circus. The lion, who at first regards the man he meets as a 'lovely dinner', is flattered by the man and persuaded to be a 'big star'. He goes along with the man, who is shown to be a lion tamer, and soon finds out that it is the man who gets all the applause! When the lion tamer quotes the rules of showbiz and cracks his whip, the lion counters with the law of the jungle and finally has his dinner. He decides to go home along the way saving other animals, who he bullied before, and finds happiness just being himself. A fun story that does not show animals as being cutesy.