Lion in Bed

Over-the-top plotting propels this lively story from previous collaborators Farrell and Tatsukawa (Give This Book Away!), about a father lion’s extreme efforts to rouse a child. Having planned a “roaring-good day,” Papa Lion finds upstairs not a rise-and-shine cub but “a lion in bed,/ just a’lying in bed.” The parent proceeds to pull out all the stops in an attempt to cajole Little Lion into the day. First, there’s breakfast in bed, with staff from local Cat’z Diner appearing in Little Lion’s room. Next, Papa proposes an outing to the playground, but brief rhymes capture the sleepyhead’s continued resistance: “Lion in bed,/ well he shook his head.” The domestic hijinks increase as a playground, birthday celebration, soccer game, and even New York City arrive, but each proves no more compelling than the last to Little Lion. Digitally finished artwork combines handmade textures, stencils, and cut paper in milky-hued spreads, which alternate scenes of the bedroom with cutaway views of the three-story home gradually filling with partygoers, soccer players, and the like. When Papa eventually collapses into the sack, he inadvertently stumbles upon the child’s actual wishes, showing that sometimes a snuggly day is just what is needed. Ages 3–7. Author’s agent: Sara Crowe, Sara Crowe Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Wendi Gu, Sanford J. Greenburger & Assoc. (Oct.)