How to Hide a Lion

How to Hide a Lion #1

by Helen Stephens

How does a very small girl hide a very large lion? It's not easy, but Iris has to do her best, because moms and dads can be funny about having a lion in the house. Luckily, there are lots of good places to hide a lion—behind the shower curtain, in your bed, and even up a tree. But can Iris hide her lion forever?

With Helen Stephens's timeless art and elegant text, readers will fall in love with Iris and her lion.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Storytime, Friendship, Humor, Cats

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 19, 2012

About the author

Helen Stephens is the illustrator of a number of books for children. She is best known for her How to Hide a Lion series, which was adapted for the stage by the Polka Theatre. She has illustrated stories for some of her favorite authors, including Roger McGough, Michael Morpurgo, Sophie Hannah, Holly Webb, and Cecile Aubry. Helen Stephens lives on the windy coast of Northumberland, England, with her family.

Reviews

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Δείτε επίσης και στο Chill and read

Το «Πως να κρύψεις ένα λιοντάρι» είναι ένα από τα αγαπημένα βιβλία της κόρης μου και των φίλων της. Πρώτη φορά, το διάβασαν στον παιδικό σταθμό, όταν ένα από τα παιδιά το είχε φέρει μαζί του για αυτό ακριβώς το σκοπό. Από τότε, όλη η τάξη ξετρελάθηκε! Έτσι αποκτήσαμε κι εμείς το δικό μας αντίτυπο και το διαβάζουμε συχνά πυκνά.

Μια μέρα, ένα λιοντάρι που θέλει να αγοράσει ένα καπέλο πηγαίνει στην πόλη. Οι άνθρωποι όμως μόλις το βλέπουν το φοβούνται και το κυνηγούν, έτσι κι εκείνο τρέχει να κρυφτεί και καταλήγει στον κήπου του σπιτιού της Έλλης. Το σπιτάκι κήπου δεν είναι αρκετά μεγάλο για να το κρύψει και η Έλλη, που βρίσκεται εκεί όταν βρίσκει καταφύγιο, του το λέει. Έτσι φοβισμένο που το βλέπει, το παίρνει μαζί της στο σπίτι για να του περιποιηθεί τις πληγές και να του βρει ένα μέρος να κρυφτεί. Και κάπως έτσι ξεκινάει μια αληθινή φιλία.

Η Helen Stephens έχει φτιάξει μια υπέροχη ιστορία για τη φιλία, δοσμένη μέσα από τον κόσμο που γνωρίζουμε, με εξωπραγματικό στοιχείο μόνο το λιοντάρι. Η Έλλη, η μικρή ηρωίδα της, βλέπει κατευθείαν το φόβο στα μάτια του λιονταριού και ξέρει πως δεν θα έκανε κάτι κακό χωρίς λόγο, ούτε θα πείραζε κανέναν. Το εμπιστεύεται και ξέρει ότι είναι καλό, όπως όλοι μας είμαστε καλοί εξ ορισμού. Γι’ αυτό και το υπερασπίζεται όταν όλοι οι άλλοι αυθαίρετα το θεωρούν κακό. Η μικρή Έλλη δεν έχει προκαταλήψεις. Δεν θεωρεί ότι «όλα τα λιοντάρια είναι κακά» όπως θα έλεγε ένας μεγάλος που γνωρίζει τι μπορεί να κάνει ένα ζώο όπως το λιοντάρι. Κι εδώ έρχεται το ερώτημα του κατά πόσο αποφασίζουμε μόνοι μας για κάτι ή αν ανεπηρέαστοι σχηματίζουμε γνώμη για κάποιον που μόλις γνωρίσαμε ή αν ακολουθούμε τις προκαταλήψεις που τυχόν υπάρχουν. Αυτό είναι και ένα από τα λάθη που κάνουν οι μεγάλοι και που δεν θα θέλαμε για τα παιδιά. Το διαφορετικό, όπως το λιοντάρι στην προκειμένη περίπτωση, δεν είναι απαραίτητα κακό. Ας του δώσουμε μια ευκαιρία πρώτα, πριν το καταδικάσουμε ή το στιγματίσουμε. Είναι πολύ σημαντικό σε αυτή την τρυφερή ηλικία τα παιδιά να μάθουν να ακούν πρώτα τον άλλο, να τον γνωρίζουν και έπειτα να σχηματίζουν προσωπική άποψη για εκείνον. Έτσι αποφεύγονται πολύ άσχημες και μη αποδεκτές συμπεριφορές που, δεδομένου ότι τα παιδιά μπορούν να γίνουν πολύ σκληρά, μπορεί να στιγματίσουν ένα παιδάκι για όλη του τη ζωή.

Η μικρή ηρωίδα γρήγορα γίνεται φίλη με το λιοντάρι και αφιερώνει τα πάντα στη φιλία τους. Παίζουν μαζί, περνούν χρόνο παρέα και φυσικά το κρύβει σε διάφορα απίθανα μέρη ώστε να μην το βρουν οι γονείς της. Όταν όμως μια μέρα δεν καταφέρει να το ξυπνήσει, «γιατί τα λιοντάρια κοιμούνται πολύ» και το δει η μητέρα της τα πράγματα θα αλλάξουν. Η μητέρα θα αντιδράσει με φόβο και προκατάληψη και θα διώξει με τις φωνές της το λιοντάρι. Εκείνο τρομαγμένο θα προσπαθήσει να βρει καταφύγιο κάπου όπου να περνάει απαρατήρητο και δεν θα φέρει τη φίλη του σε δύσκολη θέση. Όταν όμως το δοθεί η ευκαιρία να κάνει κάτι καλό για την πόλη, δε θα διστάσει καθόλου. Τότε και μόνο οι κάτοικοι της πόλης θα αναγνωρίσουν την καλοσύνη και την αξία του και θα του δώσουν αυτό για το οποίο πήγε εξαρχής στην πόλη. Και αυτό είναι ένα ακόμα από τα μαθήματα της συγκεκριμένης ιστορίας. Να είμαστε πιο ανοιχτοί στο να δεχόμαστε κάποιον χωρίς να χρειάζεται να μας αποδείξει την αξία του.

[Chelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations are darling and remind me of Margaret Bloy Graham (Harry the Dirty Dog). The story felt a little flat. Not especially humorous and I felt disappointed with the resolution. The lion only finds acceptance, and allowed to get a hat, when he proves his worth to the townspeople by nabbing burglars. The lion is a stand-in for anyone who has felt like an outsider. I wish the emphasis had stayed on the relationship between child and lion and that the relationship was enough to prove the lion's worth.

[Книжни Криле · Rating 5 out of 5]

Endearing and funny, beautifully illustrated book. My daughters love the series.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly charming illustrations totally won me over though there is nothing especially original in the story and I'm not sure I loved the resolution.

[Laura McLoughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that was adorable. Where does one find such a nice lion?

[Brenda Kahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor lion, all he wants is a hat, but the townspeople aren't very welcoming. Then he meets Iris and her attempts to hide her new friend are simply hilarious. This is another one with a rather retro feel to the illustrations even though there's plenty of color. Energy and humor exudes from each one. And, I just love his final hiding place.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the flip side of Peter Brown's Mr. Tiger Goes Wild!

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one would make a great read aloud. It is adorable. I really enjoyed it.

[Alexandra Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this to the kids at nursery on Friday and they all loved it. It’s very sweet. A lion wants to by a hat so goes in to town, is frightened away and is found by a little girl who tried to hide him. Her parents find out and banish him so he sits with the stone lions in town and busts a burglar so becomes a hero and gets his hat. Very similar to Mog.

[Bethany Keeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was sweet and a nice mix of surprising and predictable.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lion is hiding at Iris's house, but it's hard to hide a big, fluffy lion. When he is discovered, he runs and hides outside the mayor's house, foiling a burglary.

[Riccardo Mainetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Le rocambolesche avventure (a lieto fine) di un leone venuto in città a comprare un cappello

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, what a charmer of a book! It is the story of a lion who comes to town to buy a hat. But the people in town are afraid of him and chase him away. He runs off to hide in a yard under a dog house where he is discovered by a little girl named Iris. Iris immediately recognizes that he is a kind lion and invites him into her house. They did their best to keep him hidden and Iris took good care of him by brushing his mane and putting a bandage on his hurt foot. They also had a lot of fun, but that’s when they would almost be discovered. A lion bouncing on a bed makes a lot of noise! When Iris’ mother discovered the lion, the lion ran off. He hid with the stone lions in front of the Town Hall. While he was there, he saw two burglars leaving the Hall. After the lion saves the day, everyone in town realizes what a kind lion he actually is and present him with… a hat.

Stephens has created a picture book that has a simple appeal. The growing friendship between the lion and the little girl is done in a very organic and natural way. Humor is sprinkled throughout as the little girl attempts to hide the lion. Stephens also makes sure that even though the lion is kind, he is still completely a lion and an animal. The two main characters are wonderfully different and make for compelling characters especially when paired.

The art in the book reads as vintage with their bright color washes. The lines of the drawings are done with a light hand and are nicely simple. This is a book that would be right at home next to Lyle Crocodile. It reads immediately as a classic and hopefully will become one!

Too clever to be called sweet, this book is warm and friendly. A perfect book to share with your big cat at home or to curl up like a lion and listen to. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

[Saffron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated book about a lion who goes into town to buy a hat. Understandably, the townspeople are alarmed at having a lion in their midst and chase him away. A little girl knows he is a kind lion and she invites him to stay with her. Unfortunately, her parents eventually spot him so the lion hides on top of the town hall next to two lion statues. From this vantage point, he spots two burglars and frightens them away by roaring at them. The townspeople realise what the little girl knew all along - that he is a kind lion. To make amends for the way he was treated, they ask him if he would like a present and he asks for a hat, which is what he came to town for in the first place.

Personally, I love the idea of having a lion in my house and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.
This book is full of gentle humour and follows the familiar theme of children knowing something the adults don't, which obviously is very appealing to young readers. The illustrations have quite a nostalgic feel to them, reminding me of books I remember from the 70's.

I would use this book with Reception and Yr1. It offers lots of possibilities for discussion about prejudice in an accessible and child-friendly way. It could be used as a core text, with activities like sequencing, re-telling the story, illustrating mini-books, discussing character as well as things like making lions or hats.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mooolto bello!
Al momento, il favorito di Emma.
Sia la storia che le illustrazioni sono bellissime.
Adatto anche ai bimbi dai 2 anni.

[Audrey Ahrens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a lion who comes to town to buy a hat, but the townspeople chase him away. Iris, a sweet little girl, tells the lion she can hide with her and does her best to keep the lion hidden from her parents. In the end, the parents find the lion and he runs away, but is able to stop a burglary and finds acceptance (and a hat!) from the townspeople. This story was super cute and I especially loved the paint-like illustrations. The words also appear all over the pages which can make it fun for students to follow along, hoping as a class that the lion is not seen by Iris' parents. The vibrant pictures and quick storyline would make for a great read aloud for children from anywhere from K-2. The storyline was not too exciting and that's why I think it would be more appropriate for younger grades who could focus on the simple lesson and mainly the pictures. Teachers could use this book to teach lessons about the importance of kindness and not being too quick to judge (because not all lions are mean!).

[Lily Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very cute. I like the story that it has and I think it would be a good lesson for young kids to not judge a book by its cover. I think the illustrations in this book are also very interesting. They remind me of what you would find in an older book rather than a newer childrens story. I would say this book is for ages 2 and up. Some of my favorite illustrations in the book was the scene with the burglars where the lion caught them stealing from the town hall. I also really liked the way the parade scene looks, with all the different colors and different people with the way they look and the ages of the people. I also overall like the way the lion is drawn throughout the book, its very eye catching. I would rate this book a 4/5.

[Bonnie Lambourn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this story, but was surprised to see it is a recently published book. Both the story and the artwork remind me of many stories I've read many years back, as another reviewer mentioned.

It's always nice to read a story where people's perceptions must change about a wild animal, of course, but not seeing this done in any way that makes it feel fresh.

Retro art styles seem to be in recently. It feels like artists are going back to "Beginners Mind" study, to learn the craft again, which is fine, and now seeing a few breaking out with new style ideas. I look forward to more of this.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so cute! The illustrations are beautiful and adorable. The story is wonderful and charming.

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

The story is about a young girl who finds a lion and tries to hide it in different ways until she couldn't wake him up. In doing so the lion runs away and hides on his own in the town and then ends up helping the town catch some thieves. The town is happy with the lion and reward him with a hat which is what he wanted all along.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lion comes to town to buy a hat. He scares the people and tries to hide. A little girl helps him hide in her house but it becomes too complicated and he runs away. He finds a place to hide right in plain sight - between two lion statues and foils a robbery attempt at City Hall. Everyone is amazed and wants to reward him. He asks for the hat he originally came to town to get.
Readers will enjoy the humor involved in hiding a lion from parents and the rest of the town.

[FM Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably would have given this 3 or 3.5 because to me it didn't particularly stand out but my two year old requested it over and over again. A lot like Library Lion but with a less realistic drawing style. I loved the illustrations actually, they gave the whole story a very cosy feel. Fun scenes with the little girl and her lion, and the idea of keeping a lion a secret in your house would definitely have resonated with me as a kid.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming story of a little girl and her friend who happens to be a lion. It is cute all the ways she tries to hide the lion from the grown ups...who just don’t understand the lion like she does. It comes full circle when he finally gets his hat, from which this whole adventure started in the first place. The illustrations make you feel warm and fuzzy.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

In How to Hide a Lion by Helen Stephens, the illustrations are reminiscent of the books of the 1960s as well as the story line! It is one of those stories that has a complete beginning, silly middle and a very conclusive ending...and of course the lion saves the day! This book is a great choice for reading aloud to children 2 - 7.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lion comes to town to buy a hat (like they do) but the townspeople are afraid of him, causing the lion to run and hide. A little girl named Iris finds him and they become friends. Iris finds many creative ways to hide her lion from her parents.
A cute story that I think my storytime kids will really enjoy.

[Christina Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very aesthetic picture book about a lion who gets isolated from people being scared of him. A lovely girl called Iris hides him. One day his mum finds him so he hides as a statue where he stops burglars. He is then rewarded with a hat.
A very good KS1 book that talks about isolation and kindness.
The book is a good talking point for illustration and presentation of books.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet book! I love how kind the girl is and how she ignores everyone else’s judgments and finds out what the lion is really like. Such a beautiful portrayed friendship, accompanied by detailed illustrations.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

One day a lion walked into town to buy a hat. Everyone was afraid of him so he ran away and hid in a little girl's playhouse. The girl tried to hide the lion in the house because her playhouse was too small for him, but it was hard hiding a lion. When her parents saw him he had to leave. It wasn't until the lion did a very good thing for the town that he didn't have to hide anymore. Great illustrations for this cute story.

[Steven Strothman · Rating 2 out of 5]

An okay story. I felt like it tried to have imagination, but I found the imagination to be boring and tired. Just not my cup of tea.

[Μαριλένα Pappa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My nieces' favorite book! We read it at least twice a day!

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read by a pool in Montpellier :)