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Chloe and the Lion
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Picture Books (2012)Meet Chloe: Every week, she collects loose change so she can buy tickets to ride the merry-go-round. But one fateful day, she gets lost in the woods on her way home, and a large dragon leaps out from-"Wait! It's supposed to be a lion," says Mac Barnett, the author of this book. But Adam Rex, the illustrator, thinks a dragon would be so much cooler (don't you agree?).
Mac's power of the pen is at odds with Adam's brush, and Chloe's story hangs in the balance. Can she help them out of this quandary to be the heroine of her own story?
Mac Barnett and Adam Rex are a dynamic duo, and two of the strongest contemporary voices in picture books today. In an accessible and funny way, Chloe and the Lion talks about the creative process and the joys and trials of collaboration.
Mac's power of the pen is at odds with Adam's brush, and Chloe's story hangs in the balance. Can she help them out of this quandary to be the heroine of her own story?
Mac Barnett and Adam Rex are a dynamic duo, and two of the strongest contemporary voices in picture books today. In an accessible and funny way, Chloe and the Lion talks about the creative process and the joys and trials of collaboration.
50 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 2012
12 people are currently reading
1406 people want to read
About the author
Mac Barnett
105 books1,306 followersBorn to non-farmers in a California farming community, Mac Barnett now lives near San Francisco. He's on the board of directors of 826LA, a nonprofit writing center for students in Los Angeles, and he founded the Echo Park Time Travel Mart, a convenience store for time travelers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 515 reviews
September 2, 2016
Pity the picture book author. Their lot is rife with strife. With a couple exceptions here and there it is mighty hard to make picture book authorship your one and only occupation. Many times the writer in question has to supplement their income with class visits to schools and libraries around the country. That in and of itself isn’t exactly a huge hardship, but here’s the pickle. I would suspect that nine times out of ten there’s at least one kid in the audience who raises their hand and asks the author, “How did you do the pictures?” This, in turn, leads to the writer very patiently explaining that while the art is great, they were the one who wrote the words. All true. All probably met with very blank stares from the audience. Now Mac Barnett is a young, relatively new fella to the picture book scene. Granted he’s written many a fine title, but I have this vague sense when I read his books that he’s probably done a class visit or two in his day. And I suspect that maybe, just maybe, he’s run into this very situation. And while we’re dreaming pie in the sky hypothetical situations with no basis in fact or fancy, I might infer that given this question enough time and thought the young Barnett might grow just a bit tetchy. Maybe he’d be inclined to teach kids a thing or two about picture book collaboration. Thing is, if you’re looking for an Aliki-style title that patiently explains the process by which an author and illustrator make books together, this ain’t it. This is more sorta what you’d get if you took Aliki and ran her through a blender filled with rainbow ice cream and tinker toys. That’s as close an approximation as I can come up with to describe Chloe and the Lion. Informative, yes. Fever dream heights of madness? That too.
The first thing you’ll see when you open this book is a question. A page asks you upfront “Whose book is this?” Whose indeed! From the get go author Mac Barnett (who introduces himself to you on the title page) is pretty darn sure that it’s his. This belief is made clear when the story he’s telling about a girl named Chloe and the lion she encounters is derailed by illustrator Adam Rex. Adam thinks lions are boring and wants to draw a dragon. Mac, meanwhile, is pretty sure he’s the boss of this operation and when Adam won’t fall in line he hires a new illustrator (the plaid and waders wearing Hank Blowfeather) to make the lion eat Adam. Unfortunately Hank isn’t as good an artist as Adam and when Mac falls into a funk it’s up to Chloe to buck up her creator, find a way to save Adam, and end the story on a happier note.
What’s interesting about this book is that the initial problem that sets everything off is Adam being wrong. Mac writes that a lion attacks Chloe and Adam draws a dragon because dragons are more interesting. Now Mac’s reaction to this is extreme, as is his subsequent firing of Adam, but right from the start he technically was in the right when he took Mr. Rex to task. Or was he? As I write this I can't help but think that when authors and illustrators make picture books together, in a perfect universe there would be a lot of back and forth. These days most books happen when an author is paired with a random illustrator by their mutual editor and the amount of back and forth is nil. So maybe Mac's celebrating the fact that true collaboration yields better books. For me, though, I was kind of rooting for the Mac character from the get got. Even as a kid I always sympathized with the straight men in comedy duos. I cheered on Bert when Ernie was being annoying. I hooted for Jack Lemmon when he was paired with pretty much anybody. And I’m on Mac’s side when I read this book. Which makes me suspect that while the bulk of kids take Adam’s side (and as those school visits attest, kids tend to prefer artists over authors anyway) there will be the odd kid here and there who spends the bulk of the book wondering when Mac will be vindicated. Spoiler alert, kiddo: He ain’t.
Of course the real moral of the book is that when it comes to creating picture books, no one is really the boss. It’s a collaborative effort. So, in a way, this is just one rather complicated lesson of teamwork and cooperation. And certainly Adam and Mac know something about that. Together they’ve created picture books like the storytime readaloud winner Guess Again. They’re a star team. The only trouble comes in reigning them in. Generally they have a tendency to Lane Smith their books sometimes. Which is to say, include gags for the adult reader that can potentially stop it cold when a kid is reading along. This book generally avoids that problem, with the exception of the crone with a pitchfork who says that all she likes to do is “go after monsters who’ve been emotionally wounded by their mad-genius creators” (possibly a sly reference to some of Adam’s books, possibly not).
And I remember the first time I encountered Adam Rex. He was just a wee pup of an artist still carving out a name for himself with books like Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich. I remember how impressed I was with his ability to use different artistic styles in a single title and I think that when I reviewed that story I said something along the lines of “this book has uncorked all of Mr. Rex’s hitherto bottled up expressiveness, and the result is realistic oil paintings, pages that could have come from guide books, images that glow with that old-timey silver screen feel, a comic strip, some computer graphic work, and a selection that looks as if it was engraved and created in the late 19th century.” I was duly impressed and became convinced that surely if someone has talent then, by logical extension, they get showered in Caldecott Medals, right? Fast forward six years (whoa . . . I am old) and Adam’s still brilliant but singularly unappreciated. At least, less appreciated than I would like. He hasn’t whipped out the variegated styles trick since his last Frankenstein book (Frankenstein Takes the Cake) so in a way Chloe and the Lion is a return to form. Here you’ll find him making nice use of his love of models, as well creating various artistic drawing styles so as to imitate the work of three different artists. Well played, sir.
Mac and Adam must love one another very very much. How else to explain why Mac let Adam turn him from one of the Hot Men of Children’s Literature (2nd Edition) to the bag-eyed, small-mouthed creature we see here. He looks more like Bob from Sesame Street (no offense, Bob) than anything else. Not that Adam is particularly kind to himself either (and he was a Hot Man of Children’s Literature - 1st Edition too). His ears appear to have been modeled on some of the more attractive strains of kale while his nose could probably be purchased in the fruit section of your local Whole Foods. Chloe, for her part, appears to have escaped from Dan Santat’s Oh No Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World which was written by . . . . uh . . . Mac Barnett. Huh. Funny that. Except that rather than hail from San Francisco, this girl is outfitted for the Lone Star State, complete with a Texas-shaped belt buckle and tiny red cowboy boots. As a result she ends up looking a heckuva lot better than her creators (most of the time).
In terms of format, you can see the sheer levels of work that went into this. The bulk of the story takes place on a makeshift stage. So just step back and think about that. You’re reading a book that treats you like an audience member to a story that explains how books work but in a staged setting. It’s an idea that allows the book to fit right in with other let’s-destroy-the-fourth-wall-with-dynamite books like David Wiesner’s The Three Pigs and A Book by Mordecai Gerstein. That’s the first thing you notice. Then you look at how much time they spent making sure that a turn of a page would reveal a gag at just the right moment. It’s hard to time these kinds of things (particularly if you only have 48 pages to play with) but when it works it works. Adam has to cram like a devil, fitting into pages cut into quarters so as to accommodate the plot. Still and all, it all comes together. You gotta give the man that.
I read the book through a couple times to figure out whether or not a librarian could successfully read this book aloud to a class of savvy 2nd (slash 3rd slash 4th slash 5th slash 6th) graders. Conclusion: You betcha. It wouldn’t be easy, but you could definitely do it. My advice is to practice practice practice beforehand. Work on your lion voice (I hear it as Bert Lahr). Work on your Adam voice (I hear it as John Hodgman). Work on your Mac Barnett voice (Ed Wynne?). Begin the storytime by asking the kids, “Who is more important in a picture book: The writer or the illustrator?” When they all say illustrator (and they will) read them this book. Then ask them the same question. And when they still all say the illustrator, make sure that you point out that none of these ideas could have existed in the first place without the author, Mac Barnett. Point out how he’s made himself the butt of the jokes so that even if they don’t wholly believe that he’s of equal importance to Adam, at the very least you can hope that maybe if Mac does another class visit one of these days he’ll be able to leave in his wake a group of kids that abstain from asking future visiting authors whether they prefer to draw their books in pencil or pastels. Consider this information you can use in a surreal, not to say eclectic, little package.
For ages 4 and up.
The first thing you’ll see when you open this book is a question. A page asks you upfront “Whose book is this?” Whose indeed! From the get go author Mac Barnett (who introduces himself to you on the title page) is pretty darn sure that it’s his. This belief is made clear when the story he’s telling about a girl named Chloe and the lion she encounters is derailed by illustrator Adam Rex. Adam thinks lions are boring and wants to draw a dragon. Mac, meanwhile, is pretty sure he’s the boss of this operation and when Adam won’t fall in line he hires a new illustrator (the plaid and waders wearing Hank Blowfeather) to make the lion eat Adam. Unfortunately Hank isn’t as good an artist as Adam and when Mac falls into a funk it’s up to Chloe to buck up her creator, find a way to save Adam, and end the story on a happier note.
What’s interesting about this book is that the initial problem that sets everything off is Adam being wrong. Mac writes that a lion attacks Chloe and Adam draws a dragon because dragons are more interesting. Now Mac’s reaction to this is extreme, as is his subsequent firing of Adam, but right from the start he technically was in the right when he took Mr. Rex to task. Or was he? As I write this I can't help but think that when authors and illustrators make picture books together, in a perfect universe there would be a lot of back and forth. These days most books happen when an author is paired with a random illustrator by their mutual editor and the amount of back and forth is nil. So maybe Mac's celebrating the fact that true collaboration yields better books. For me, though, I was kind of rooting for the Mac character from the get got. Even as a kid I always sympathized with the straight men in comedy duos. I cheered on Bert when Ernie was being annoying. I hooted for Jack Lemmon when he was paired with pretty much anybody. And I’m on Mac’s side when I read this book. Which makes me suspect that while the bulk of kids take Adam’s side (and as those school visits attest, kids tend to prefer artists over authors anyway) there will be the odd kid here and there who spends the bulk of the book wondering when Mac will be vindicated. Spoiler alert, kiddo: He ain’t.
Of course the real moral of the book is that when it comes to creating picture books, no one is really the boss. It’s a collaborative effort. So, in a way, this is just one rather complicated lesson of teamwork and cooperation. And certainly Adam and Mac know something about that. Together they’ve created picture books like the storytime readaloud winner Guess Again. They’re a star team. The only trouble comes in reigning them in. Generally they have a tendency to Lane Smith their books sometimes. Which is to say, include gags for the adult reader that can potentially stop it cold when a kid is reading along. This book generally avoids that problem, with the exception of the crone with a pitchfork who says that all she likes to do is “go after monsters who’ve been emotionally wounded by their mad-genius creators” (possibly a sly reference to some of Adam’s books, possibly not).
And I remember the first time I encountered Adam Rex. He was just a wee pup of an artist still carving out a name for himself with books like Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich. I remember how impressed I was with his ability to use different artistic styles in a single title and I think that when I reviewed that story I said something along the lines of “this book has uncorked all of Mr. Rex’s hitherto bottled up expressiveness, and the result is realistic oil paintings, pages that could have come from guide books, images that glow with that old-timey silver screen feel, a comic strip, some computer graphic work, and a selection that looks as if it was engraved and created in the late 19th century.” I was duly impressed and became convinced that surely if someone has talent then, by logical extension, they get showered in Caldecott Medals, right? Fast forward six years (whoa . . . I am old) and Adam’s still brilliant but singularly unappreciated. At least, less appreciated than I would like. He hasn’t whipped out the variegated styles trick since his last Frankenstein book (Frankenstein Takes the Cake) so in a way Chloe and the Lion is a return to form. Here you’ll find him making nice use of his love of models, as well creating various artistic drawing styles so as to imitate the work of three different artists. Well played, sir.
Mac and Adam must love one another very very much. How else to explain why Mac let Adam turn him from one of the Hot Men of Children’s Literature (2nd Edition) to the bag-eyed, small-mouthed creature we see here. He looks more like Bob from Sesame Street (no offense, Bob) than anything else. Not that Adam is particularly kind to himself either (and he was a Hot Man of Children’s Literature - 1st Edition too). His ears appear to have been modeled on some of the more attractive strains of kale while his nose could probably be purchased in the fruit section of your local Whole Foods. Chloe, for her part, appears to have escaped from Dan Santat’s Oh No Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World which was written by . . . . uh . . . Mac Barnett. Huh. Funny that. Except that rather than hail from San Francisco, this girl is outfitted for the Lone Star State, complete with a Texas-shaped belt buckle and tiny red cowboy boots. As a result she ends up looking a heckuva lot better than her creators (most of the time).
In terms of format, you can see the sheer levels of work that went into this. The bulk of the story takes place on a makeshift stage. So just step back and think about that. You’re reading a book that treats you like an audience member to a story that explains how books work but in a staged setting. It’s an idea that allows the book to fit right in with other let’s-destroy-the-fourth-wall-with-dynamite books like David Wiesner’s The Three Pigs and A Book by Mordecai Gerstein. That’s the first thing you notice. Then you look at how much time they spent making sure that a turn of a page would reveal a gag at just the right moment. It’s hard to time these kinds of things (particularly if you only have 48 pages to play with) but when it works it works. Adam has to cram like a devil, fitting into pages cut into quarters so as to accommodate the plot. Still and all, it all comes together. You gotta give the man that.
I read the book through a couple times to figure out whether or not a librarian could successfully read this book aloud to a class of savvy 2nd (slash 3rd slash 4th slash 5th slash 6th) graders. Conclusion: You betcha. It wouldn’t be easy, but you could definitely do it. My advice is to practice practice practice beforehand. Work on your lion voice (I hear it as Bert Lahr). Work on your Adam voice (I hear it as John Hodgman). Work on your Mac Barnett voice (Ed Wynne?). Begin the storytime by asking the kids, “Who is more important in a picture book: The writer or the illustrator?” When they all say illustrator (and they will) read them this book. Then ask them the same question. And when they still all say the illustrator, make sure that you point out that none of these ideas could have existed in the first place without the author, Mac Barnett. Point out how he’s made himself the butt of the jokes so that even if they don’t wholly believe that he’s of equal importance to Adam, at the very least you can hope that maybe if Mac does another class visit one of these days he’ll be able to leave in his wake a group of kids that abstain from asking future visiting authors whether they prefer to draw their books in pencil or pastels. Consider this information you can use in a surreal, not to say eclectic, little package.
For ages 4 and up.
January 23, 2013
I really wanted to like this but it was just okay for me. I really liked the idea of the author and illustrator being characters in the story. I know it was supposed to be funny but some aspects of their interactions and views about what makes the "right" illustration, I'm not sure I enjoyed or appreciated. I know I'm in the minority here so I would still encourage other fans of Mac Barnett and Adam Rex to pick up the book. I do think most of the humor would be lost on little ones, though, and it might make a confusing read-aloud.
April 14, 2018
This is one of my granddaughter's new favorites. After we read this one (and one other) this weekend, the reread it to herself during the weekend. It is has great artwork and great humor.
June 7, 2013
This was so highly rated, I may get hammered for my dislike of the book. BUT, I did pick this up for my 2 year olds and my dislike based on how completely unappealing it is to two year olds. It is WAY beyond them the attention level and comprehension for the typical picture book audience. This is something for first graders might enjoy as far as comprehension but by first grade my son wasn't terribly interested in picture books. So therein lies the trouble. Oh, and I found the little claymation author and illustrators a tad bit creepy. But hey, if your preschooler is super sophisticated and gets adult humor, I'm sure this will be a winner. Or, you can just read it for your own enjoyment and enjoy it (unless you think the claymation guys are creepy).
August 21, 2012
This is not for little kids. This is for older kids who will get the game, which goes back to Warner Brothers immortal "Duck Amok" and other such cartoons where the subject and the artist battle. Here this goes further, with a battle between author and artist while the poor subject of the book suffers.
This is funny, I suppose. But I prefer Melanie Watts "Chester" books which are funnier and far more accessible not just to older kids and hipster librarians and teachers and other adults. The author/artist here are of that ilk, I'd guess and find themselves cleverer than I do.
Nor am I fond of the art, which has the hipster/computer drawn bug eyed look which is straight out of Nicktoons like "Jimmy Neutron" and far less annoying there. The sequence with the lion drawn by "Hank" (is he a real person or not) looks rather Sendak like and is a lot more attractive. I sort of wish that when Adam had been swallowed by that lion he had stayed there.........
This is funny, I suppose. But I prefer Melanie Watts "Chester" books which are funnier and far more accessible not just to older kids and hipster librarians and teachers and other adults. The author/artist here are of that ilk, I'd guess and find themselves cleverer than I do.
Nor am I fond of the art, which has the hipster/computer drawn bug eyed look which is straight out of Nicktoons like "Jimmy Neutron" and far less annoying there. The sequence with the lion drawn by "Hank" (is he a real person or not) looks rather Sendak like and is a lot more attractive. I sort of wish that when Adam had been swallowed by that lion he had stayed there.........
October 10, 2012
We've been reading as many books by Mac Barnett and Adam Rex as we can find at our local library. We really enjoyed the humor in Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem and our girls were really excited to read this book.
It did not disappoint. The mixed media illustrations as well as the conversation between the author and illustrator made the story come alive and we laughed throughout the whole book. The story was very creative and humorous and the illustrations really created the tale. We really enjoyed reading this book together and we are going to check out The Brixton Brothers series next.
It did not disappoint. The mixed media illustrations as well as the conversation between the author and illustrator made the story come alive and we laughed throughout the whole book. The story was very creative and humorous and the illustrations really created the tale. We really enjoyed reading this book together and we are going to check out The Brixton Brothers series next.
July 20, 2012
Funny! This was recommended by my friend Sara and I got it from the library even though it was a picture book and I don't usually spend time reading them. I read it and spent ten minutes laughing out loud alone in the house. Laughing out loud while reading by myself is always an odd pleasure for me. There's the laughter, which is great, but then the kind of creepy feeling that I might be a little crazy. After I enjoyed it, I insisted that Matt read it. Now I'm insisting that you do too. It will take 10 minutes. Laughter is good for you. Maybe you can read it aloud to someone so you can both laugh together and avoid the creepy feeling. Just do it.
June 18, 2015
Breaks the third wall.
My kids love this book.
Contains yet another funny drawing of a lion
So many kids books have hilariously non-threatening lions
I really need to make a list
1. Sylvester & the Magic Pebble
2. Lion
3. Chloe & the Lion
4. Madeline and the Gypsies
Here's the one from Sylvester & the Magic Pebble
hahaha
My kids love this book.
Contains yet another funny drawing of a lion
So many kids books have hilariously non-threatening lions
I really need to make a list
1. Sylvester & the Magic Pebble
2. Lion
3. Chloe & the Lion
4. Madeline and the Gypsies
Here's the one from Sylvester & the Magic Pebble
hahaha
July 12, 2019
Cute and really funny. Little tiny kids probably won't get the humor, but this is perfect for elementary age. The illustrations are perfect.
Read
September 28, 2012A quirky, innovative, laugh-out-loud book that kids and adults will enjoy. The book at first appears to be about Chloe, coins, and a merry-go-round, but it is really about collaboration between the author and illustrator. A lesson about friends working together and appreciating each other's talent.
So why no star rating? For once I am at a loss, there were a number of things that I loved but there was also I list of things I didn't like. Normally I can push away the dislikes or at least mute them, but not this time. In general I love Mac Barnett's witty writing, so I kind of feel bad writing this review. :-(
Three Perspectives
For Kids:
Kids will enjoy the humor of a dragon popping out instead of a lion. The bickering between the author and illustrator, the language is hilarious! My girls loved the merry-go-round at the end with all the characters on it. My girls also enjoyed that it was Chloe who was the "wise one" in contrast to the adults that were acting like kids. The degradation of drawings of Chloe and the lion. I personally liked Mac's version of the lion, looked so cute and cuddly.
Young kids (4-5yrs) may need a little extra help following along as the collaboration story interrupts the Chloe story. The use of mixed media did help to differentiate the two storylines, but my 4yr old found it confusing the first two times we read the book. Though she happily caught on afterwards.
For Parents:
Parents will appreciate the lessons about collaboration and working together. Adults too will enjoy the witty humor. I didn't appreciate the use of the word "idiot" as it didn't seem justified.
For Writers:
This is an innovative story as it tries to discuss the writer/illustrator role, by stopping the original story mid-stream and starting the second story. But characters from the first story (Chloe, Lion) inter-mingle with Mac (2nd storyline). Very challenging and ambitious. It does get a bit confusing with the jumping around between the two storylines. I loved that the collaboration story was the heart of the book. I especially like the use of a blank spread with Mac in the lower right corner saying "I give up", poignant. However after Mac's realization that he wanted Adam back, I wanted the story to continue on that path and became somewhat annoyed with the delay due to Chloe's three encounters. This part really seemed like filler material to me. Also I think the three encounters, lumberjack, craven, and knight were maybe subtle jokes for the adult or older reader. I got the lumberjack one, but didn't know what the craven joke was in reference too, and the knight's dialogue seemed to generic to be linked to any particular story.
Another point that really, really nagged at me was if Adam could stick his hand out of the lion to draw Chloe, then why on the next page does she have to go look for the lion to rescue Adam??? When creating a fictional world, there are typically rules the writers comes up with of what can or can't be done. In this book I found it very confusing as to when the previously drawn characters could exist for multiple pages and when they had to be re-drawn. I could not figure out the rule for it. I realize this might just be my engineering brain looking for consistency and order, so take it with a grain of salt.
I definitely recommend reading this book to your kids at least once, twice, maybe even multiple times. :-)
If you enjoyed this type of story, I'd also recommend checking out ONCE UPON A MOTORCYCLE DUDE, where a boy and girl learn to collaborate to tell a joint fairytale.
NOTE ADDED 10/16/12: This book was nominated by Teacher.Mother.Reader for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Fiction Picture Book category. I am a second-round judge in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
So why no star rating? For once I am at a loss, there were a number of things that I loved but there was also I list of things I didn't like. Normally I can push away the dislikes or at least mute them, but not this time. In general I love Mac Barnett's witty writing, so I kind of feel bad writing this review. :-(
Three Perspectives
For Kids:
Kids will enjoy the humor of a dragon popping out instead of a lion. The bickering between the author and illustrator, the language is hilarious! My girls loved the merry-go-round at the end with all the characters on it. My girls also enjoyed that it was Chloe who was the "wise one" in contrast to the adults that were acting like kids. The degradation of drawings of Chloe and the lion. I personally liked Mac's version of the lion, looked so cute and cuddly.
Young kids (4-5yrs) may need a little extra help following along as the collaboration story interrupts the Chloe story. The use of mixed media did help to differentiate the two storylines, but my 4yr old found it confusing the first two times we read the book. Though she happily caught on afterwards.
For Parents:
Parents will appreciate the lessons about collaboration and working together. Adults too will enjoy the witty humor. I didn't appreciate the use of the word "idiot" as it didn't seem justified.
For Writers:
This is an innovative story as it tries to discuss the writer/illustrator role, by stopping the original story mid-stream and starting the second story. But characters from the first story (Chloe, Lion) inter-mingle with Mac (2nd storyline). Very challenging and ambitious. It does get a bit confusing with the jumping around between the two storylines. I loved that the collaboration story was the heart of the book. I especially like the use of a blank spread with Mac in the lower right corner saying "I give up", poignant. However after Mac's realization that he wanted Adam back, I wanted the story to continue on that path and became somewhat annoyed with the delay due to Chloe's three encounters. This part really seemed like filler material to me. Also I think the three encounters, lumberjack, craven, and knight were maybe subtle jokes for the adult or older reader. I got the lumberjack one, but didn't know what the craven joke was in reference too, and the knight's dialogue seemed to generic to be linked to any particular story.
Another point that really, really nagged at me was if Adam could stick his hand out of the lion to draw Chloe, then why on the next page does she have to go look for the lion to rescue Adam??? When creating a fictional world, there are typically rules the writers comes up with of what can or can't be done. In this book I found it very confusing as to when the previously drawn characters could exist for multiple pages and when they had to be re-drawn. I could not figure out the rule for it. I realize this might just be my engineering brain looking for consistency and order, so take it with a grain of salt.
I definitely recommend reading this book to your kids at least once, twice, maybe even multiple times. :-)
If you enjoyed this type of story, I'd also recommend checking out ONCE UPON A MOTORCYCLE DUDE, where a boy and girl learn to collaborate to tell a joint fairytale.
NOTE ADDED 10/16/12: This book was nominated by Teacher.Mother.Reader for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Fiction Picture Book category. I am a second-round judge in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2012
I love stories that make children laugh AND know that kids are really smart. They don't just rely on slapstick humor or potty language (although those laughs are also fun). Some books make kids think to realize the full humor in a story, and the payoff is even bigger. Chloe and the Lion is a book that will bring lots of laughter, but also some interesting "a-ha" moments as kids think about cooperation and creativity, about pictures and words in the books they love. Best of all is the way that Mac Barnett and Adam Rex poke fun at themselves.
Readers know from the very beginning that this picture book will be a bit different. "This is me, Mac. I'm the author of this book," waves a sweater-clad clay figure on the first page. Turn the page and you'll see Mac's friend Adam putting the finishing touches on Chloe, the main character of the book.
One day, Chloe ends up wandering through the dark forest, lost on her way home from the park. Just then, "a huge lion leapt out from behind an oak tree." But children will quickly see that the picture shows an enormous purple dragon, not a lion. Mac becomes very angry that Adam won't follow his directions:
"Well, look. The fact is I don't really care what YOU think. I'm the author of this book. You're the illustrator. That means I'm in charge of what happens, and you draw whatever I tell you."
Mac fires Adam, but runs into trouble finding the right person to illustrate his story. Children will laugh at Mac's attempts to draw his own pictures for the book, at little Chloe's attempt to talk some sense into Mac, and the many fractured fairy tale references. But most of all, kids will love the bickering and final resolution of these two friends as they create a truly funny story by working together.
As in the best picture books, the words and the pictures work together in perfect harmony, building off of one another at each step. Rex combines clay figures, acrylic paintings, drawn sets, and photographs to create the artwork. Throughout, the artwork heightens the humor just perfectly, helping readers feel the separation between the artists and the story.
Readers know from the very beginning that this picture book will be a bit different. "This is me, Mac. I'm the author of this book," waves a sweater-clad clay figure on the first page. Turn the page and you'll see Mac's friend Adam putting the finishing touches on Chloe, the main character of the book.
One day, Chloe ends up wandering through the dark forest, lost on her way home from the park. Just then, "a huge lion leapt out from behind an oak tree." But children will quickly see that the picture shows an enormous purple dragon, not a lion. Mac becomes very angry that Adam won't follow his directions:
"Well, look. The fact is I don't really care what YOU think. I'm the author of this book. You're the illustrator. That means I'm in charge of what happens, and you draw whatever I tell you."
Mac fires Adam, but runs into trouble finding the right person to illustrate his story. Children will laugh at Mac's attempts to draw his own pictures for the book, at little Chloe's attempt to talk some sense into Mac, and the many fractured fairy tale references. But most of all, kids will love the bickering and final resolution of these two friends as they create a truly funny story by working together.
As in the best picture books, the words and the pictures work together in perfect harmony, building off of one another at each step. Rex combines clay figures, acrylic paintings, drawn sets, and photographs to create the artwork. Throughout, the artwork heightens the humor just perfectly, helping readers feel the separation between the artists and the story.
September 14, 2012
Meta picture books! You can never have too many meta picture books! Well, ok, you probably (definitely) can, but the market isn't as saturated with them as they are with, say, dystopian novels (but I still love dystopians!). Plus, most of the meta-books I've read (We are in a Book!, The Cat in the Hat, Interrupting Chicken) have been really good! Chloe and the Lion is no exception, and I'm sure the excellent combination of author Mac Barnett and illustrator Adam Rex helped!
The book starts as a little girl named Chloe wanders into a dark forest. All of a sudden, a lion jumps out at her! But Adam, the illustrator has drawn a dragon! Conflict ensues as Adam and Mac argue over which is more fearsome, a lion or a dragon. Mac, tired of Adam's insubordination, decides to bring in another artist, or do it himself, but realizes that he needs Adam. Friendship tale!
Anyway, this is a fun read, and could be read aloud, though it's a bit more difficult to do than your average picture book. And I love the mixed-media and different styles of art on one page.
Ages 5+
The book starts as a little girl named Chloe wanders into a dark forest. All of a sudden, a lion jumps out at her! But Adam, the illustrator has drawn a dragon! Conflict ensues as Adam and Mac argue over which is more fearsome, a lion or a dragon. Mac, tired of Adam's insubordination, decides to bring in another artist, or do it himself, but realizes that he needs Adam. Friendship tale!
Anyway, this is a fun read, and could be read aloud, though it's a bit more difficult to do than your average picture book. And I love the mixed-media and different styles of art on one page.
Ages 5+
April 23, 2013
I'm not sure where to begin with this book. It's not a female version of Andy and the Lion which is kind of what I expected when I picked it up. It's by author Mac Barnett (who wrote Extra Yarn, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 2013, illustrated by Jon Klassen, who actually won the Caldecott Medal, but for a different book) and illustrator Adam Rex (who wrote The True Meaning of Smekday, which was one of the SLJ Best Books of the Year when it came out.) There, does that do it for you?
No? Try this: it breaks the fourth wall, alludes to other stories,is illustrated with a variety of media including Sculpey clay and modified doll clothing, has a spunky heroine who helps pull things together when the Mac and Adam cannot agree on how this book should be made. It's Chloe and the Lion,right? But Adam thinks a dragon would be cooler.
Spoiler alert: Mac pulls rank and Adam gets eaten. A new illustrator makes things even worse. And all this takes place on what appears to be the stage of an elementary school. I'm not doing the book justice. If you like Knuffle Bunny or We Are in a Book, both by Mo Willems, or This Is Not My Hat, by the aforementioned Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen, you will probably like this. The Lexile measure is AD460, but that measure suggests it is a very easy book, which it is not. Use it with upper elementary kids, or maybe kids who want to write their own books. Love it or hate it: just give it a try.
No? Try this: it breaks the fourth wall, alludes to other stories,is illustrated with a variety of media including Sculpey clay and modified doll clothing, has a spunky heroine who helps pull things together when the Mac and Adam cannot agree on how this book should be made. It's Chloe and the Lion,right? But Adam thinks a dragon would be cooler.
Spoiler alert: Mac pulls rank and Adam gets eaten. A new illustrator makes things even worse. And all this takes place on what appears to be the stage of an elementary school. I'm not doing the book justice. If you like Knuffle Bunny or We Are in a Book, both by Mo Willems, or This Is Not My Hat, by the aforementioned Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen, you will probably like this. The Lexile measure is AD460, but that measure suggests it is a very easy book, which it is not. Use it with upper elementary kids, or maybe kids who want to write their own books. Love it or hate it: just give it a try.
November 22, 2012
Having just returned from Las Vegas where everything is somewhat surreal, including checking in and checking out of the hotel where slot machines and smoking are just a few feet away, I was ready for a cleverly written and illustrated picture book like this one. Although the author describes Chloe, a girl who saves up coins she finds so she can ride on the park merry-go-round, as the main character of the book, she really isn't. The actual main characters are the author and illustrator who squabble about whose book this really is. Fans of metafiction will relish this title, which would be useful in teaching students about plot devices and intrusive narrators and even as part of a discussion about whose vision matters more when it comes to picture books--an author's or an illustrator's. Chloe has barely stepped into the dark woods when the two book creators clash. The illustrator considers a lion too typical and wants to include a dragon while the author fiercely defends his choice. The battle is on, and the illustrator is fired and then rehired before the story can finally be concluded. I found this picture book quite appealing and especially enjoyed the art, created from basswood, balsa wood, oil and acrylic paints, pencil, Sculpey clay, doll clothing that has been modified, toilet paper, photography, and Photoshope. This is one of those picture books that would be great to use with older readers as well as with the younger set.
January 23, 2013
Authors...they can be so snooty. And Illustrators--so temperamental. Apparently.
Author Mac Barnett is telling a story, and Adam Rex is illustrating the story for him. The story is about a girl named Chloe who is walking through the woods when she comes across a ferocious lion! What a great story! But Mac gets a little too picky with the images Adam has drawn, and well, Adam won't stand for it. He quits.
No problem. As the author of the story, Mac just writes another illustrator into the story. Oh, things don't look just as they did when Adam was drawing, but that's okay. It's the story that's really important, after all.
Mac just wants too much control, though, and soon this replacement illustrator has walked away, too. Mac is forced to illustrate his own story. This is not good. This is actually pretty bad. Mac really can't draw worth a hoot. It's a good thing Chloe is a smart girl who doesn't mind stepping up with the truth when it needs to be spoken.
You can tell that Mac Barnett and Adam Rex are good friends when you read this book. And you can almost hear them acting the whole thing out. Cracks me up.
I think this would make a better one-on-one book than a classroom read-aloud (although I could be wrong), but either way, I think kids will get a kick out of it.
Author Mac Barnett is telling a story, and Adam Rex is illustrating the story for him. The story is about a girl named Chloe who is walking through the woods when she comes across a ferocious lion! What a great story! But Mac gets a little too picky with the images Adam has drawn, and well, Adam won't stand for it. He quits.
No problem. As the author of the story, Mac just writes another illustrator into the story. Oh, things don't look just as they did when Adam was drawing, but that's okay. It's the story that's really important, after all.
Mac just wants too much control, though, and soon this replacement illustrator has walked away, too. Mac is forced to illustrate his own story. This is not good. This is actually pretty bad. Mac really can't draw worth a hoot. It's a good thing Chloe is a smart girl who doesn't mind stepping up with the truth when it needs to be spoken.
You can tell that Mac Barnett and Adam Rex are good friends when you read this book. And you can almost hear them acting the whole thing out. Cracks me up.
I think this would make a better one-on-one book than a classroom read-aloud (although I could be wrong), but either way, I think kids will get a kick out of it.
May 9, 2012
From time to time, children’s board books fall into the same rut of princess and happily ever after. Well, I have no idea what was rolling around in the minds of Mac Barnett and Adam Rex, but I can tell you that there is no way you will find a sparkly princess or get bored reading this book.
To be honest, I am not one hundred percent sure that it is a child’s book, so right there it should tell you that it deserves to be picked up. Mac and Adam not only wrote and illustrated this book, but they actually star in it. When the collaboration between writer and illustrator goes amuck, it is up to lead character Chloe to get them all back on board and convince the ever changing lion, who should have been a dragon, into giving up his dinner so the story can be finished. I know that sounds a little strange, but this book is so funny and convoluted that the reader is in for as much of an entertaining evening as any young child.
The illustrations are a little different than the usual offerings, think Wizard of Oz meets clay animation meets paper dolls and you would be close.
Loved the storyline and the quips. I am not 100% sure of the age group that I would recommend this book, I recommend that you pick it up and decide if it would be right for your young one or more along the lines of something that you, the adult, will chuckle over.
To be honest, I am not one hundred percent sure that it is a child’s book, so right there it should tell you that it deserves to be picked up. Mac and Adam not only wrote and illustrated this book, but they actually star in it. When the collaboration between writer and illustrator goes amuck, it is up to lead character Chloe to get them all back on board and convince the ever changing lion, who should have been a dragon, into giving up his dinner so the story can be finished. I know that sounds a little strange, but this book is so funny and convoluted that the reader is in for as much of an entertaining evening as any young child.
The illustrations are a little different than the usual offerings, think Wizard of Oz meets clay animation meets paper dolls and you would be close.
Loved the storyline and the quips. I am not 100% sure of the age group that I would recommend this book, I recommend that you pick it up and decide if it would be right for your young one or more along the lines of something that you, the adult, will chuckle over.
May 10, 2012
This was cute. I'm really not sure if it's something kids could fully appreciate, even though it's a picture book and shelved in the kids section.
It's kind of about story telling and working together and compromising, though. The author and the illustrator get in an argument in the middle of the book which is cool. In the end, they need to find a compromise that works not only for the author and illustrator, but also for the character--I liked how they included the character as someone who needed to have a say in things because I think that a lot of times in literature, characters do take on their own lives once they've been created.
So I would be really interested to see what a group of children thought about this book--maybe I'm wrong, maybe they would think it was silly and like it and it would get them thinking about the fact that books have authors and illustrators and would inspire the kids to start writing/illustrating stories of their own!
It's definitely cute and creative and does some cool things with storytelling and I loved it.
It's kind of about story telling and working together and compromising, though. The author and the illustrator get in an argument in the middle of the book which is cool. In the end, they need to find a compromise that works not only for the author and illustrator, but also for the character--I liked how they included the character as someone who needed to have a say in things because I think that a lot of times in literature, characters do take on their own lives once they've been created.
So I would be really interested to see what a group of children thought about this book--maybe I'm wrong, maybe they would think it was silly and like it and it would get them thinking about the fact that books have authors and illustrators and would inspire the kids to start writing/illustrating stories of their own!
It's definitely cute and creative and does some cool things with storytelling and I loved it.
June 2, 2012
Even though this is a picture book the content is about authorship, illustrating, and creating character and story. Pretty heady stuff for your average toddler. I personally enjoy this type of play very much and I like Adam Rex's inventive interplay of different media to illustrate the story. The plasticine figures representing Mac (the author), Adam (the illustrator), and Hank (the back up illustrator) give added dimension to this theme of who creates who and reality versus imagination. The stage sets do the same. However,all this layering of media and character/author conversation, may make this book inaccessible to the picture book crowd. That is not to say the book is not appealing. It would be a good for convesation starter about all of these aspects of a book especially in a classroom setting. For the young I think combining it with Mo Willems' "We are in a Book" would bring clarity to the conundrum of who created who.
February 25, 2015
While I love the work of Mac Barnett (Extra Yarn!!!) I can't say I was terribly thrilled with this odd concept of a book. While the child in him certainly became evident in this super creative, crazy tornado of a story, it was the child reader who got left in the dust. Too much zigging and zagging and adult tangent humor.
And the art was mostly adult-friendly too, leaving whimsy and beauty in the dust.
Some people are gonna love this book. Mostly grown ups, and that's awesome. Grown ups deserve picture books too! But don't buy it for a four-year-old. He'll be mad that there aren't more (better drawn) dragons, and get bored listening to Adam and Mac fight. Four-year-olds have enough on their plates without listening to sculpey clay figures whine and moan about awful artwork...
And the art was mostly adult-friendly too, leaving whimsy and beauty in the dust.
Some people are gonna love this book. Mostly grown ups, and that's awesome. Grown ups deserve picture books too! But don't buy it for a four-year-old. He'll be mad that there aren't more (better drawn) dragons, and get bored listening to Adam and Mac fight. Four-year-olds have enough on their plates without listening to sculpey clay figures whine and moan about awful artwork...
April 22, 2012
Once again, this review will get me in trouble with applauding librarians everywhere....but I just wasn't into this book. The premise was cute...but I think my students will find it difficult to follow, especially in a read-aloud format. It might work better independently. It translates well to an adult reading it, but I am sure this wasn't the intended audience. I did laugh out loud in parts. But I forgot all about Chloe and was more focused on the argument between the author and the illustrator. Fun book, but humor is lost on K-1st for sure.
July 13, 2012
This book is fabulous. A bit like (and I'm sure this isn't an original thought) The Monster at the End of this Book but with more dragon. And Sculpey. Pure fun. Really hope it gets Caldecott attention.
You can totally tell that Mac Barnett has an 826 connection. This book reads like something that came out of a workshop. And I loved it all the more for it.
You can totally tell that Mac Barnett has an 826 connection. This book reads like something that came out of a workshop. And I loved it all the more for it.
April 29, 2015
A++++
The children's librarian at my branch recommended this and it did not disappoint. I got it and made all my friends read it and my coworkers and literally anyone who shows any interest in kids books. I wish we has a copy at my library because I want to hand it out as people step in the door.
The combination of 2D and 3D illustration techniques was really fantastic. This was certainly the best and truest collaboration of an author an illustrator I have ever seen. There is so much to take in and that makes for a very fruitful experience.
The children's librarian at my branch recommended this and it did not disappoint. I got it and made all my friends read it and my coworkers and literally anyone who shows any interest in kids books. I wish we has a copy at my library because I want to hand it out as people step in the door.
The combination of 2D and 3D illustration techniques was really fantastic. This was certainly the best and truest collaboration of an author an illustrator I have ever seen. There is so much to take in and that makes for a very fruitful experience.
June 15, 2018
Second attempt to enjoy this, as I've loved other works by the creators. But still it fails, imo. All gimmick, no resonance. No heart, either; I found myself wanting them *all* to get eaten by lions. Except Chloe, maybe, but even sure I don't know about because I don't know her.
If the book does have a theme or a reason for being, what is it? Is it that we need to be more patient with our friends and colleagues? That would be a cool message, but gosh I had to dig for it.
If it's just supposed to be funny, well, sure, it *almost* is.
If the book does have a theme or a reason for being, what is it? Is it that we need to be more patient with our friends and colleagues? That would be a cool message, but gosh I had to dig for it.
If it's just supposed to be funny, well, sure, it *almost* is.
August 29, 2011
Melanie Watt's Chester the Cat like voice interrupts a Harold and the Purple Crayon inspired story of humor and compromise with a quick lesson in narrative structure.
There's lots for teachers to work with here:
--author vs. illustrator
--text vs. image
--perspective
--narrative structure
--cooperation
--character strenghts and weaknesses
There's lots for teachers to work with here:
--author vs. illustrator
--text vs. image
--perspective
--narrative structure
--cooperation
--character strenghts and weaknesses
April 25, 2012
I like Mac Barnett but LOVE Adam Rex. I don't know if it will hold the attention span of the average kiddo, and sometimes I felt they were just amusing themselves (not there is anything wrong with that). It is different, and I'm all for different!
March 27, 2015
Oh man, I LOVED this. I love a meta picture book, and this was way meta. I loved the mix of 2-D and 3-D art to illustrate the separate parts of the story, I love the jokes like the woodcutter, and I LOVE Chloe's Texas belt buckle.
Read
April 3, 2012Best fourth-wall breaking since Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and the classic Monster at the End of This Book.
July 11, 2012
This goofy metafiction is gleefully sly fun.
August 9, 2013
This is seriously weird. If I thought Where is My Hat was weird, this book makes that one seem completely normal.
This isn't so much a review as it is just me talking aloud (or typing).
This isn't so much a review as it is just me talking aloud (or typing).
May 31, 2019
Quirky and fun
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