Gerald the Lion

PreS-Gr 2–Souhami’s picture book offers an engaging story and a lesson on seeing the world from a variety of perspectives. A house cat named Gerald sees himself as a “big, bold lion” surveying his domain. As he roams his neighborhood in search of adventure, he encounters birds, snails, a dog, and a child and their grown-up. To Gerald, the sound of birds chirping is like a roar, snails are “strange creatures from a distant planet,” the dog is “a scary fire-breathing dragon,” and humans are “friendly giants.” Young readers will be surprised to discover the ways that Gerald views his surroundings. Souhami uses large font, spare text, line drawings, and primary and secondary colors to illustrate Gerald’s world. In the end, he returns home and “pretends to be a small cat,” sitting on his owner’s lap.