Tawny Scrawny Lion (Little Golden Book) [Hardcover]

Kathryn Jackson (Author), Gustaf Tenggren (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: July 15, 2001 | Age Range: 3 - 7 years | Series: Little Golden Book

Once there was a tawny scrawny lion who chased monkeys on Monday—kangaroos on Tuesday—zebras on Wednesday—bears on Thursday—camels on Friday—and on Saturday, elephants!

So begins the funny, classic Golden story of a family of ten fat rabbits that teaches the hungry lion to eat carrot stew—so that he doesn’t eat them!


From the Hardcover edition.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 7 years
  
• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: Golden Books; 1 edition (July 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307021688
• ISBN-13: 978-0307021687
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 0.2 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,830 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Lions, Tigers & Leopards
  • #41 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Rabbits

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome October 19, 2009

By T. Bachman

Format:Hardcover

I can't believe some of the ludicrous reviews on here. One lady fusses because she's a vegetarian and the rabbits are depicted as putting fish in their stew; another person fusses because the lion is depicted as eating kangaroos, when lions are not native to Australia. So, let's see: Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, The Lion King, Charlotte's Web, Snow White, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Hansel and Gretel, and every other children's story ever invented, likewise should be fussed about, because all contain implausible claims and non-PC events. So dumb. The point of the story is how the little rabbit's sincerity and hospitality provokes a change in the predatory lion. It's not a David Attenborough documentary, okay?

Anyway, here's the story: When "The Tawny Scrawny Lion" opens, a lion is devouring the local animal population. Frightened, the local animals convince a young rabbit to approach the lion in hopes that the lion will eat the rabbit, and thus leave them alone for another day. However, as the lion prepares to pounce, the naive, cheery rabbit invites the lion to come home with him to eat dinner with him and all his siblings. Eager to eat them all, the lion agrees.

But as the day wears on, with the rabbit gathering herbs and fish for the carrot stew, they become friends. And once the lion gets to know the rabbit's family, he softens, and the story ends with the lion and rabbits all great friends. After that, the lion only wants to hang out with the rabbits and eat carrot stew. The rabbit family's sincere hospitality has won the lion over.

This is a wonderful little tale with striking illustrations. I read this book all the time as a kid, and I read it to my kids now all the time, and it just never gets old. In fact, I still find it touching everytime.

I hope this review helped someone.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Bursting with Charm After Fifty Plus Years October 31, 2006

By Nancy West

Format:Hardcover

I am sorry for those readers who seem to have missed the exuberant charm of this little book. Perhaps it is simply that it struck a cord for me five decades ago, and the nostalgia overtakes me from time to time. The truth is, I have never forgotten the wide-eyed lion and the clever little rabbits after all these years. And while the lion never becomes a true "vegetarian," I suspect that he would have had a sequel ever been written. For 1952, I think those rabbits did a darn good job of teaching the lion about sustainable food sources. Amazingly, my copy from childhood has survived. Unfotunately, the color in Tenggren's illustrations are more vivid in my 1950's copy than the ones I recently purchased from Amazon. (I have to fess-up, I purchased half-a-dozen to give as gifts to my "almost" vegetarian friends). Well, it may be a silly little book to some, but I believe that its message was way ahead of its time and it is bursting with charm. (I just wish that there had been a sequel!)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Love this book December 26, 2011

By S. K. Harrell VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

It was one of my favorites, now my kids love it. I'm glad that Little Golden Books are still around, however dated the story may be. The artwork is fun and playful, the story silly, but it's very sweet. i'm glad it's still around.