Book Review: When Your LION Needs a BATH – by Susanna Leonard Hill; fun activity, & announcements!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book: When Your LION Needs a BATH
Author: Susanna Leonard Hill
Illustrator: Daniel Wiseman
Publisher: Little Simon
Date: July 11, 2017
Genre: children’s – age 2-4; Preschool & up
Pages: 26
Price: $7.99 US; $12.99 CDN
My rating: An enjoyable story for picture book lovers of all ages

 

This is my first post (I’ll have 12) as my part in the back-to-back blog tours for Susanna Leonard Hill‘s three books coming out this month.

When Your LION Needs a Bath, written by Susanna Leonard Hill and illustrated by Daniel Wiseman is a delightful story for little ‘uns.

The first thing you’ll notice, besides When Your Lion Needs a Bath being a board book, is the vivid comical illustrations in this little book. On the front cover is a lion dripping beside a bubble-filled bathtub. He is looking a little disgruntled. Now you know bath time was a challenge. 

Inside it starts out with the lion looking very happy, very dirty but very happy about it. The instructions begin with the warning that to give your lion a bath you must be a little sneaky. There are several failed attempts at tricking the lion into a prepared bubble bath; however, the little boy who is intent on getting him in there does not give up. He’s prepared for almost anything.

 

 

 

 

Text copyright © 2017 by Susanna Leonard Hill
Illustration copyright © 2017 by Daniel Wiseman
Used by permission of Little Simon

Children will giggle over the illustrations that show the lion dizzy from chasing a toy mouse ’round and ’round, getting tangled in a ball of yarn, and always managing to escape the bath somehow.

Here is where author Susanna Leonard Hill‘s love of desserts, especially with chocolate in them, comes into play …  try tempting your lion with a tasty treat such as … a brownie banana butterscotch berry marshmallow strawberry-smothered caramel-covered peanutty-buttered double-dip chocolate-chip triple-whipped jelly-bean sundae supreme. Oh My! Daniel Wiseman‘s illustration for this one makes the reader want to start off to the ice-cream store! 

When the right idea is hit upon, bathtime is quickly accomplished, until …   😉  I’ll just say it’s a funny ending.

This story is not written in little words, or only three or four per page. It is written to be read to little ones. The bold-coloured, uncomplicated illustrations have definite child appeal so the child can thoroughly appreciate what is being told. Later, when learning to read, it will be fun for children to figure out the bigger words through remembering the story while feeling accomplished with the easier words. In short, this story is for everyone.

When Your LION Needs a BATH is one of the first two books of a series called WHEN YOUR … books. (Watch for the other one coming here July 11.)

BONUS: To add to the fun, here is an extra created by Susanna for kiddies:

*** After you’ve read WHEN YOUR LION NEEDS A BATH, you might want to play a lion game – I know I would! 😊  This game requires at least 4 or 5 children – the more the merrier! – and works well at the playground, at preschool, at a birthday party, or just at home in the living room or the back yard.

Catch The Lion’s Tail

Catch The Lion’s Tail is a twist on Duck, Duck, Goose!  Make a lion’s tail using yellow felt, string, or yarn with a knot tied in the bottom.  (And if you don’t have anything like that on hand, a regular old belt will do 😊 )  Give the tail to one player and have her tuck it into the waistband of her pants at the back so it hangs down.  All the other players sit in a circle.

The lion walks around the circle tapping the sitting players on the head saying Lion each time.  When she says Hyena, that player must chase the lion around the circle and try to catch her tail before the lion gets back and sits in the hyena’s spot.  If the hyena catches the tail, the lion must be lion again.  If the lion makes it to the hyena’s seat and sits down, she gives that player the tail and the hyena becomes the new lion. ***

Wait! Before you go I have two other important things to tell you.

Come back on Thursday, July 6, for my interesting interview with the author, Susanna! And … we’re having a giveaway!

Exciting things are happening all month! Read about it HERE. 

We look forward to your supportive comments.

You can find When Your LION Needs a BATH by Susanna Leonard Hill on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Goodreads, and on Chapters.Indigo if available there. (After its release date I will post my review on the above sites.) 

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings!  🙂

34 thoughts on “Book Review: When Your LION Needs a BATH – by Susanna Leonard Hill; fun activity, & announcements!”

  7. Great review, Lynn…I love the activities you suggested and I enjoyed the dessert descriptions…but now I am hungry and it is almost midnight. 😉 We’ll have to ask Susanna to write another in the series: When Your Kidlit Friends Want a Snack.

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    1. Thanks, Vivian. Hang in there. I think that book idea is a very good one, and if anyone can do it, Susanna can! (I’d love a few gluten-free recipes though, and – sadly – I can’t eat chocolate either. Seeing as Susanna loves chocolate I think I’ll just have to enjoy the descriptions. 🙂 )

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  8. I can’t wait to read this book! Thanks for your review, Lynn! I have a feeling these are going to become my go-to books for baby gifts. 🙂

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    2. Well, you know me and dessert, Maria, and I made up the sundae! You should have seen the original version! In fact…hang on… I’ll find it and paste it here…

      Ah! Here it is! We had to cut it to fit the space on the page 🙂

      How about a…
      Brownie banana-creme butterscotch berry
      Marshmallow marmalade macaroon cherry
      Strawberry-smothered
      Caramel-covered
      Ultimate super chunk peanutty-buttered
      Double-dip chocolate chip triple whipped cream
      Coconut jelly bean sundae supreme!

      Now THAT’S dessert! 🙂

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  11. This is a great book launch. Each post so different! How about a book “When your child won’t eat …chocolate!” Being so passionate about chocolate, would love to see what you’d do with that topic.

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    1. I have no experience with that, Pat! None of my children would EVER turn down chocolate 🙂 But I do have a book along those lines planned…if I am lucky enough to get to continue the series. It has a title and scribbled notes but will need the support of great sales of the books already in the publication line-up to have any hope of seeing the light of day! So glad you’re enjoying the launch!

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  12. I love picture books and chocolate (alas chocolate hates me!) but I can (and usually do) substitute while reading this sure to be great series! Lovin this review!
    Gabrielle

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