How to Hide a Lion at Christmas

September 1, 2019
There's no hiding Iris' love for her pet lion. There's little backstory to explain to readers unfamiliar with How To Hide a Lion (2013) how the lion came to live with Iris and her family. But even though "all the townspeople loved him," Iris' mother says the big cat can't accompany them to Auntie Sarah's house for Christmas because others on the train and in the town they're visiting would be frightened. Iris is saddened, and her sadness spurs the lion into action: After she and her family leave home, he follows and hides in the overhead luggage rack on the train. No one notices him, in part because he falls asleep on the journey and therefore is quiet. Unfortunately, he sleeps through the moment when Iris' family gets off the train. When he awakens, he's far from Auntie Sarah's house. But the intrepid feline follows the railroad tracks back to a village, where, after humorous encounters with carolers and Santa himself, he is finally reunited with Iris. Stephens' pictures have a cartoon quality to them, and they amplify the warm, gentle humor of the text as they alternate between vignettes and full bleeds, culminating in a relaxed family scene by the Christmas tree at Auntie Sarah's. Iris, her family, and Santa all present white. Move over, reindeer, a new cat's coming to Christmas. (Picture book. 3-7)

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October 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 2-Iris and her pet lion are back in this whimsical holiday tale featuring a brief cameo by Santa Claus. When her family must travel to visit her aunt at Christmas, Iris is forced to leave her pet lion at home, because, her parents reason "lions can't take trains." The lion, not wanting to stay at home, hides in a train berth, falls asleep, and wakes up alone. Will he be able to find Iris? The colors in the illustrations match the changing mood of the story, from the fear the lion feels when he is lost to his determination to reunite with his friend. Endpapers decorated with Christmas tree ornaments and a different cover under the dust jacket add to the book's charm. VERDICT Purchase where the earlier title is popular and for collections in need of new, silly holiday fare.-Jennifer Knight, North Olympic Library System, Port Angeles, WA

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