Johnny Lion's Book (An I Can Read Book, Level 1)

Johnny Lion's mother and father are going out hunting. "Be a good little lion," says Mother Lion. "Do not go out of the house." But Johnny has something better to do. He has a brand-new book! "Oh no," he says. "I will not go out of the house. I will read my book all day long." At first he does not read very well. He tries and tries until he can finally read the story. Imagine his surprise when it turns out to be all about a little lion a lot like himself, with parents who go out hunting for something good to eat, just like Johnny's parents. As Johnny reads about Oscar P. Lion's exciting day--escaping a crocodile, trying to hunt, getting lost--he begins to feel like he's the one having the adventures.

Every child who first discovers the magic of reading knows what it's like to be absorbed by a new (or old) storybook. The classic pairing of Edith Thacher Hurd and her husband Clement Hurd (illustrator of Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny) in the Johnny Lion books (Johnny Lion's Rubber Boots and Johnny Lion's Bad Day)is a welcome treat for any reader, veteran or novice. Clement Hurd's yellow and red lions are some of the most appealing felines readers are likely to encounter on or off the page. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter