Watch Out for the Lion!

by Brooke Hartman, Anna Süßbauer (Illustrator)

Readers beware―there’s a ferocious lion in this book! The book warns that it has seen the lion already. First its bristly tail, then clashing claws, twitchy ears, fearsome fangs… and it’s lying in wait to turn any unsuspecting passerby into a child cheeseburger or rugrat ravioli.

But does a brushy tail always belong to a lion? When you touch the curvy claws, will they be attached to a paw? You never really know what might be lurking around the corner in this surprising story that challenges readers to face their darkest fears, and maybe even laugh about them.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Humor, Storytime, Childrens, Fiction, Nature

32 pages, Hardcover

Published February 7, 2023

About the author

Brooke Hartman is an Alaskan mom and award-winning author of books for children. When she isn’t writing, you can find her flying, fishing, and having fun with her family, enjoying all the magic life has to offer.

Follow her writing adventures at BrookeAHartman.com, or on Instagram and Facebook @BrookesBooksAK.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told in second person POV, addressed directly to the reader, this book reminded me a lot of The Monster at the End of the Book by Jon Stone. It's a great opportunity to discuss similarities and differences, or just have fun looking at jungle animals and being "scared." A great group read aloud!

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny book that speaks directly to book readers, begging them not to keep turning the pages because they might encounter a lion!

This reminds me of the classic “monster at the end of this book” story.

5 tries.

[Chase Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminds me of the monster at the end of this book. I love it it’s soooo cute!!! ❤️

[The Silvan Reverie | Sarah Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those picture books my kids absolutely LOVE! It's in the same spirit as The Monster at the End of this Book -- it hilariously engages the reader(s) in a lively and imaginative way. In this case, the narrator is telling us to not turn the page because there is a LION in this book. As we move along through the pages we end up encountering much less threatening animals (e.g. giraffe, sloth, hamster, etc). In the end we do encounter a real live lion, but it turns out its a harmless and cute lion cub.

The humorous text is fun to read aloud and would work well for a group setting. There is interesting vocabulary and alliteration, and while the story follows a familiar format it isn't gimmicky or too simple. There is a lovely amount of complexity and imagination involved, which will keep young readers coming back again.

***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Page Street Kids. Opinions are my own.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

An instantly engaging story to read aloud to children with its cute illustrations that quickly draw kids into identifying story patterns and enthusiastically making predictions.

I read this to 15 classes, grades kindergarten through fourth. Every class was fully engaged. Older grades were most certainly more accurate in their predictions, yet they never seemed bored. While understated, students thought all the illustrations were "adorable" - there was a lot of ooooo-ing, awwww-ing, giggling, and "I told you so!". The first graders seemed most drawn into the story, especially when they thought about becoming a lion snack. Every class made the most likely prediction about what could be waiting around the corner at the end of the story. I could almost see the light bulbs going off in the kindergarten and first grade classes when they made that last prediction, which was priceless.

[Helen Wu · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Watch Out for the Lion!" is a delightful book that is sure to capture the imagination of young readers. It offers a fun and engaging story that encourages children to face their fears and explore the world around them. As the story progresses, the reader is challenged to explore their imaginations as they encounter various body parts and try to determine whether or not they belong to the elusive lion. The book is full of surprises, and children will love the unpredictable nature of the story. Whether you're looking for a bedtime story or a fun activity to share with your child, this book is sure to be a hit!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really reminded me of "Let's Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy": both are seeing bits of creatures that scare the bejabbers out of them, only it's never as scary as they think. In this one, the narrator knows there's a scary lion out there. Only the various parts they see and panic about (tail, ears, claws, etc) all turn out to belong to non-scary creatures like giraffes and hamsters. What bothers me, though, is that the narrator says that a lion has fangs (which later on actually belong to a walrus). This doesn't make sense, as lions have lots of sharp teeth (not just fangs), and a walrus has tusks, not fangs.

[Amy Oberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book opens with an illustrated poster titled, "How to Spot a Lion." Upon turning the page, the reader supposedly sees a "close-up" of a specific lion part, only to discover another animal is actually being featured. I think this book has the potential to be a laugh-out-loud story for young listeners/readers, and it is a clever introduction to perspective, as well as making predictions.

Publication Date: 2023
Format: Picture book
Elements: Bold illustrations (from a variety of perspectives); varied typefaces; onomatopoeia; author "breaks the fourth wall"/interactive
Connection/Topics: Animals; making predictions; humor

[Kathy Temean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a funny and clever book. I can tell how much Brooke had writing this book. That really shines through the whole book. I love how the book shows children don't jump to assumptions. Just because you see a bushy tail, doesn't mean it's attached to a lion. It could be a giraffe. Or spying curvy claws could belong to another animal, like a sloth. Very, very clever. Teachers and parents will love reading this aloud to their class and children at home. It makes me smile imagining the giggles and belly laughs from the kids. Anna's illustrations are adorable and purr-fect for the story.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I prefer the same concept as executed in The Scariest Kitten in the World. This one isn't as funny, and relies on the art being blurry enough that the reader can't tell, for example, lion's ears from hamster's Also it's just the one-note plot, whereas in the Kitten book there's more going on (though it's told just as concisely) so it's more interesting to the parent or other educator.

[Lacey Sudano · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed how the narrator in this book directly referred to the readers and engaged them in the story. The book had a silly feel to it, which children love. It included multiple animals and described how they were similar to a lion when the narrator had the misconception that they were the lion. As the story continued, readers were unsure whether there would be a lion in the story. Unexpectedly, the lion appeared, but it was different from how the narrator and most of the readers imagined. In my opinion, the best part about this story is the way it engages children.

[Roben · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, my friends, is the perfect book for story time. First - lots of surprises. Second - everyone gets to scream. LOUDLY. (Not all kids love to scream - or enjoy hearing screaming - so be sure to warn parents ahead of time that things are going to get loud so kids can cover their ears.)
And an added bonus, this book has lots of great alliteration.

Be prepared to read this one more than once.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books are just made to be read aloud. This book is perfect for storytime. The page turns are perfect, the concept is playful, and there is humor throughout. Watch out, the text warns, there is a lion on these pages. A tail, some ears, or other hint of the animal that's coming plays into the warning, only for you to turn the page and learn it belongs to a much less terrifying creature. Hilarious and engaging from start to finish.

[Mrs. Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was silly and fun. We learned a lot of words/ synonyms that the kids enjoyed. But I don't like books that shout or expect me to shout. However, the kids do and it was a big hit with them. It was great for the days we had indoor recess because we got them to do bursts of movement or yelling to let out energy.

This book is a Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee and most classes still have it at the top spot for their favorite YHBA readalouds.

[Kalynne]

Date: 03.21.25
Attendees: 55
Theme: Being Afraid

Introduction and announcements: Bread and Butter

Book one: Darkness Slipped in by Ella Burfoot

Song/rhyme/game one: If You Ever See a Monster

Book two: Watch Out for the Lion by Brooke Hartman

Song/rhyme/game two: Silly Dance Contest by Jim Gill

Book three: I Am (Not) Scared by Anna Kang

Song/ rhyme/ game three: The Red Roller Coaster (Wheels on the Bus)

Activity: coloring pages

[Ellon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars (I really liked it)

That was pretty cute. It's a interactive book that is reminiscent of The Monster at the End of this Book. I can imagine reading this aloud to a class full of young students and then getting a kick out of it, which actually makes me like it more even when I'm just reading it alone at home.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun storytime read. The narrator engages the reader directly, a technique I don't always enjoy, as it can seem a bit "fresh" when used with children. My kindergarten test class enjoyed it though, and after a few pages understood the pattern and the humor of misidentifying the animals based on their parts.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an attention-getting opening: The book, like a character or a real-live person, is giving the reader advice. Big warning to watch out for the lion.

This funny book is a superb resource for dispelling fears.

Thank you, Brooke Hartman.
And thanks to you too, Anna Susbauer, aka Scared Bunny, the artist.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narrator warns the reader there is a lion prowling very close by. You need to be on the look out for the tail, claws, ears, fangs, and roar. Do you brave it by turning the pages? A fun time, definitely a great interactive story. Could be used to explain not judging a book by its cover because every time the narrator thinks they see a lion, it turns out to be something else.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun book, silly, interactive and just a tiny bit scary. The sloth image really did look a bit like a lion to most of my preschoolers, but other than that, I have no complaints about the book. It would probably be an even better book for primary aged students who might catch a bit more of the humor.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

4/27/2024 ~ I love the way this book sets readers up for predictions & changing predictions based on new evidence. It's also engaging, with the way it breaks the fourth wall. I can't wait to share with students as part of the Young Hoosier process in 24-25.

If you do 6+1 Traits, this book has fabulous word choices & interesting examples of varied sentences.

[Stacy Natal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute book in which the author is speaking directly to the reader. In this one, she is warning the reader to watch out for the lion but keeps mistaking harmless animals for the lion. The students I read it to got a giggle out of it and had fun guessing what the animal really is on each page.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reader is urged by the narrator to beware of the lion. When the narrator sees a bushy bristly tail, it’s for sure it has to be a lion, but it turns out to be a giraffe. This happens a few times with different animals so that the narrator believes that there isn’t even a lion there. Funny ending and great illustrations.

[Heidi Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caution: read this book at your own risk! Hidden throughout the pages are creatures with curvy claws, ferocious fangs ...and possibly even a lion lurking just out of sight.
WATCH OUT FOR THE LION! is an adventurous and fun read-aloud.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this book doesn't exactly tread new ground, it's still very appealing. Speaking directly to the reader from the outset (even before the title page), you know what you're getting yourself into and I'm sure there will be giggles from young readers. A solid four-star title.

[Kimberly Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious read-aloud that will keep kids entertained by the unreliable narrator and their fear of…you guessed it—lions. The bold illustrations complement the humor to show kids things are not always what they seem, and that fear can sometimes make situations scarier than the reality.

[AMY · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute picture book that has a mystery part on each page. Kids will enjoy guessing what animal it might be...since it is NOT a lion...This would be great as a read-aloud. The illustrations are bright and engaging. Highly recommended for Grades K-3.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading a bunch of kids picture books and want to remember them. This was one of 2 recommended to me by a fellow library board trustee who regularly reads to his grandson’s grade school class. He said they were great for that and he was right.

[Kelly Marie]

Big hit for kindergarten readiness Storytime. Made sure voice was playful and not too scary to keep the kids from being frightened. The kids got the humor and the repetition and we’re on the lookout for what the next false Lion would be. About as long as you’d want to go for KR.

[Emma Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, quick read! The book discusses fears about coming across a lion, but the narrator keeps coming across animals that aren't nearly as scary as a lion. A great opportunity to practice different voices during a read-aloud.