Lion and the Puppy and Other Stories for Children

by Leo Tolstoy

This illustrated volume collects twenty-five stories written by the celebrated novelist for the young students of the school he founded on his property, where he himself taught neighboring children

Genres: Childrens, Classics, Literature, Fiction, Picture Books, Short Stories

61 pages, Hardcover

First published December 19, 2011

About the author

Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (Russian: Лев Николаевич Толстой; most appropriately used Liev Tolstoy; commonly Leo Tolstoy in Anglophone countries) was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist fiction. Many consider Tolstoy to have been one of the world's greatest novelists. Tolstoy is equally known for his complicated and paradoxical persona and for his extreme moralistic and ascetic views, which he adopted after a moral crisis and spiritual awakening in the 1870s, after which he also became noted as a moral thinker and social reformer.

His literal interpretation of the ethical teachings of Jesus, centering on the Sermon on the Mount, caused him in later life to become a fervent Christian anarchist and anarcho-pacifist. His ideas on nonviolent resistance, expressed in such works as The Kingdom of God Is Within You, were to have a profound impact on such pivotal twentieth-century figures as Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Reviews

[Sera · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 5-year old daughter took this one out of her school library. Many of the stories are depressing to the point where I was concerned that the subject matter may have been too taxing for my daughter. She seemed to handle it all well, though, and in a way, was almost whimsical about the graphic nature of some of the stories.

Other stories had the most incredible imagery, full of vivid descriptions and vibrant language. "The Swan" is one of the most beautiful stories that I have ever had read imagery-wise. I think that my daughter loved it, too, because before she went to bed that night, she said: "Mommy, I am a swan." Outstanding.

[Gesci · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lion and The Puppy was one of my favorite books growing up. I first discovered it whilst wasting away teacher's work days in my librarian-mom's school library. I was 5, much younger than the 4th-7th grade school, so many of the books were a bit too hearty for me, but The Lion and the Puppy immediately attracted me. Some of the stories do have elements of sadness, but all in a very natural or real manner. I remember puzzling through my feelings after each tale and going back and reading it time and again. As an adult, I've gifted this book to several of my closest when they've had kids. I can't say I'd never have read Tolstoy's novels without this introduction, but it certainly helped interest me in Russian literature later through the familiarity.
The stories may seem more depressing than what we're used to these days in children's literature, but they offer such an opportunity to explore fables, morals, history, and life lessons that I consider this a MUST for any children's book collection.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will cite the LA Review of Books, and their piece
Leo Tolstoy’s Children’s Stories Will Devastate Your Children and Make You Want to Die. I have nothing further to add.

(This is a wild exaggeration, I think some kids would love these, but yes they are bizarrely randomly dark, not in the faerie tale sort of way, in the "inexplicable sad stuff happens in life" sort of way).

[Prashant Baid · Rating 4 out of 5]

A children's book that is probably not for children. Though I wish I had read this as one. Best to learn about the realities of life as early as possible.

[Sulthana Shams · Rating 3 out of 5]

_The Lion and the Puppy_

Little known stories written by Leo Tolstoy for the children in Tolstoy's school in the village.

They are very interesting in that it stands in contrast to the typical children’s books you come across. These are not simple moral stories with happy endings. In fact there were very few with what you might call as happy endings and ideal closures.
The stories reflect a sense of melancholy expounding that sometimes inexplicably sad things may happen in life but sort of also elegantly paints that life may be bigger than all of them and still worth moving ahead.

While it may be difficult to expound the stories to children, I feel it opens up excellent discussions and questions rather than the typical spoon feeding of black and white morals.

[Bobbie Weaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part Aesop fables, part dark Russian lore. It must have something to do with long winter months, but Russian literature overflows with rich characters, human and anthropomorphic, who often die when you least expect it. It is Tolstoy, after all.

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best children's stories I have ever read are in this book. They are all morally open-ended and promote questioning rather than answer-seeking. Can't wait for my son to be old enough to read them himself.

[Sundee Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really sweet (though the first story was a bit heartbreaking). Leo Tolstoy wrote these stories for the children in his village to learn to read with. They're very elegant Russian fables, and the illustrations are beautiful.

[Genevieve Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read. I thoroughly enjoyed these short stories. I especially liked them 3 stories when Tolstoy personified trees - I always have thought we would be friends, and this makes me sure of it. I look forward to reading these with my son when he is a bit older.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, pleasant (mostly) stories written by Tolstoy for the area children.

[Kì Diệu Ếch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lev Tolstoy, Lev Tolstoy, một tấm lòng cao cả, một trái tim nhân hậu và là người kể chuyện thiên tài, ngay cả khi kể những câu chuyện ngắn để dạy trẻ em. Một số truyện phía sau có trong tập Kiến và chim bồ câu, nên tìm đọc thêm cả hai.

[Claire Binkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course, these days I am regularly pressured to only read Russian literature in Russian, but I wandered by this in the library one day and could not resist having a peek.

Tolstoy is my absolute favourite author, besides. It's not going to be too hard to track down something called like Лев и Щенок or one of the dozens of synonyms for puppy in Tolstoy's bibliography, no? Ah, the Азбука looks right!
Rather, that word means the alphabet, as it's for children. *dictionary-references just in case*

Yes, that sounds like what the introduction to this book says. In other words. *cough* How about that! I know more Russian than I generally assume.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having been written by Tolstoy, I expected these children's stories to be fairly literary, and they were. They were also rather peculiar for children's stories. Some of them are obviously didactic, like fables; others are just plain depressing, like the title story "The Lion and the Puppy". All of them were interesting, and could be used to start meaty discussions in a classroom situation. In fact, theses stories were written for the children in Tolstoy's school for the village children. I can imagine how much they must have appreciated having something to read, and how nice it was of Tolstoy to take the time to write something for them. James Riordan's accompanying illustrations were colorful but had an old-fashioned Edwardian feel to them. I'm not sure if children today would enjoy these tales, but they're certainly fun to read. My rating is actually 3 1/2 stars.

[Kamal · Rating 1 out of 5]

First this book was about a manny stories for kids and the author of this book Leo Tolstoy is really famous Russian writer. Next my favorite story is the dead man and the bear the story is about to beware of those who leave their friends in danger. Then this book is really amazing and it has manny stories for kids. After the author Leo Tolstoy is writing so manny books and its because he is a famous Russian writer. This book is really amazing because it has many stories and "the dead Man and the bear" is interesting story I've ever read. This book is very good.

[Doni · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Leo Tolstoy, but I guess I'm just not big on the genre of fables. Many of the stories were quite sad. I like his Three Questions, also for kids, better.

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy and good read. The title story is worth reading in the collection.