Johnny Lion's Book

by Edith Thacher Hurd, Clement Hurd

All three beloved Johnny Lion books are back! Whether he is reveling in the adventures of his first book, finding a cure for the rainy-day blues, or experiencing all the misery—and coziness—of a bad, bad cold, Johnny Lion is a delight. Edith Thacher Hurd's lively text is perfectly captured in the tender illustrations by her husband, Clement Hurd, the illustrator of Goodnight Moon.

About the Authors:
The legendary team of Edith Thacher Hurd and Clement Hurd created nearly fifty books for children. Clement Hurd is also the illustrator of the cherished classics Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny, both by Margaret Wise Brown.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1965

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading a book about a lion reading a book is not my idea of fun.

The nested narrative is a story about a little lion disobeying its parents. The framing sequence is just Johnny passing the day with his new book.

My daughter enjoyed this when she was two, but I was bored then and now.

[Katherine C. Hirstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Tym · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art isn’t all that good for the most part, but the story, even the framing device, is charming and sweet

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book celebrates reading about our heroes while reminding us that we don't have to be Robinson Crusoe, d'Artagnan or Jason Bourne, since we are ourselves, and that's a good thing. Johnny is a lion cub who's about to find out. While mom and dad leave to go hunting, Johnny learns to read for himself. His hero is Oscar, a lion like him, who goes out to explore the world, same as Johnny wishes he could. A few things separate Oscar from Johnny. 1) Oscar is quite a youngster lion, Johnny a few years older. 2) Oscar is in one scene chased by a crocodile, Johnny though hasn't had that kinda luck. (Probably his best buddy in school is a croc.) 3) Oscar has to go straight to bed after his huge steak dinner as punishment for going outside by himself (y order of the lioness, and what lioness says is law) but Johnny? Will he get the same treatment, or does mom and dad lion have a much better surprise in store for Johnny: that Johnny and Oscar from his book are alike, yet totally separate from each other, with Oscar in the fiction world, and Johnny in the much better real world. (I still hold this truth that the real world with its cruel ways is better....it's all about perspective!) I think this book is a good way to tell kids the differences between reality and the fictional realms of our cherished literary heroes and that we should take it as a blessing, instead of as a downer.
Four stars
Read between the LIONS and you will see the MANE theme for yourself!

[Pamela Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Johnny is patiently waiting at home, just like his parents told him to, and reading his new book. But the lion cub in the book does not stay home- and ends up in all kinds of trouble!

[Devin Marks · Rating 1 out of 5]

The moral of this story is terrible! In the end, the lion learns discipline is bad, not that dangerous decisions and disobeying your parents is wrong.

[Mila Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that Johnny knew how to read

[Misbah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will always be special for me because this was the first "big" book I ever read. I remember mom would read it and I would read after her and then I got the hang of it. I was so proud of myself! There is a sweet story and fog amount of wood repetition.

[Priscila Lima · Rating 3 out of 5]

Johnny Lion has just learned how to read and his parents, Mother Lion and Father Lion are happy about it because it gives Johnny something to do when he is home alone while they are hunting. To keep her son occupied Mother Lion buys him a new book called The Little Lion, which is also a story about a cub who is home alone while the parents are out hunting. This is what makes the book interesting for kids, it’s like a book within a book. In the Little Lion, the cub Oscar P. Lion disobeys his parents and goes out to explore the world instead of staying at home playing. He sees all kinds of animals while trying to find some food and while swimming in the cool river, he encounters a dangerous animal and is almost eaten by it. Towards the end, Oscar P. Lion gets lost and scared. Later he is found by his parents who punish him by having him go to bed right after dinner. Just as Johnny Lion is finishing the book, his parents arrive home with some food. Johnny jokes with the that he went out to see the world, eats his dinner and goes to bed very late.

I found this book easy and fast to read. The sentences are short, simple and to the point. It makes the story somewhat easy for kids to follow, since it is a book within a book and something that is not often see in children's books. I wish the illustrations were more delicate and neat instead of messy and rough. Young kids will enjoy this book because Johnny Lion is easy to relate to, the author humanized the animals to tell her story. The book teaches kids a lesson, that they should listen to their parents because they know what is best for you.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Johnny Lion was a favorite of mine as a little girl, and now rereading it YEARS later to my grandbaby I remember why I enjoyed it so well! Many of the words are repeatative for the beginning reader so it kind of gets 'boring' when your reading it outloud to a child that can't read yet. But like I did, you can kind of skip over some of the repeative stuff. But Johnny Lion receives a book for a gift and he is old enough to stay home now when his parents go out hunting. He stays and be good and reads his book the entire time his parents are gone. He uses his imagination and 'gets into the book' which is easy for him to do since the book is very similar to him, a baby lion (although Johnny Lion isn't a baby anymore) and his parents. An enjoyable book for a little listener and or the reader!

[Sarah]

I loved this book as a child, and it is a favorite of both of my children. I especially like how, even geared to quite young children, it shows the idea that you can live a book. Johnny lives the adventure that he reads in his book, and tells his parents all about it.

[Lili · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about a lion reading a story. Doesn't sound too intriguing, but a great favorite of mine and I love reading it to the kids!

[Lillie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Favorite part: When his mama and daddy gave him one big steak

[happy dog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book as a kid. I have it in the original cloth covered version. My child just read it to me and I got a little choked up.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an easy to read book that shows young readers how easy it is to get lost in a book. I would use it in the classroom for a fun and interesting read for new readers.

[Moorhead Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favorite book as a child!

[Monique Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it

[Anna H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A favorite of mine...its so cute and cleverly written.