The Heart of the Lion [Hardcover]

Mary Watson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2005 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

An American boy living in West Africa writes in his journal, “Without Yampabou, I am lost in a world of mysteries and magic... among people who eat the hearts of lions.” It is their unique friendship that helps the American boy come to understand and admire the rich culture and traditions of West Africa.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up–This husband-and-wife team first paired their talents for The Market Lady and the Mango Tree (Morrow, 1994). This book, also based on Peter Watson's experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in Dahomey/Benin, is made up of a series of 14 vignettes describing a young American's reaction to customs and circumstances he encounters while living in a small farming village. Some of the sketches are graphic and disturbing. In The Prisoner, a baboon is kept chained to a mango tree for no apparent reason. He is persistently taunted by the village children, and there is some question at the end of the piece as to whether or not he has mauled one of his tormentors. I thought I heard a scream, but it was probably just the squeal of the tires…. While the writing is clear and well complemented by Mary Watson's realistic paintings, the picture-book format coupled with the gritty subject matter (dog-eating, airplanes crashed into mountaintops with their passengers left inside, and the aforementioned animal torture), it is difficult to imagine an appropriate audience for this work.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
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From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. In this picture book for older children, a white American boy visiting a village in West Africa tells how he learns from his friend Yampabou about "the mysteries and magic" of a different culture. In one- to two-page episodes, loosely gathered together as a journal and illustrated with full-page colored woodcuts, the visitor records his experiences. The boy sees both wonderful and sad things, such as a baboon chained to a mango tree. He learns that people in the village eat mice ("the one who caught it got the head"). When he expresses shock that they also eat dogs, Yampabou explains he is just as appalled that Americans eat pigs. More than separate episodes, the experiences move together toward a surprising climax: Will Yampabou find his courage by catching a lion and eating its heart? Yes and no. The friendship story will touch readers; it will also make them think about people in different parts of the world and about Yampabou's laughing comment "that what is forbidden for one is completely acceptable for another." Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Shenanigan Books; First edition (June 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972661417
• ISBN-13: 978-0972661416
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,901,511 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An engaging story told in discrete segments that will engaging the total attention of young readers from first page to last, September 14, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Heart of the Lion (Hardcover)

The collaborative work of author Peter Watson and illustrator Mary Watson, The Heart Of The Lion is the picturebook story of a young American boy and his West African adventures with his friend Yampabou as recorded in the pages of his personal journal. It is through the people he meets and the animals he encounters that this American boy comes to understand and respect the rich culture and traditions of West Africa. Peter Watson is a natural born storyteller who himself first experienced the mystery and magic of African culture as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Dahomey/Benin. The impressively stylistic artwork of Mary Watson is a perfect showcase and compliment to an engaging story told in discrete segments that will engaging the total attention of young readers from first page to last. The Heart Of The Lion is an enthusiastically recommended addition to family, school and community library picturebook collections.