Lionheart

PreS-Gr 2—Richard hears a sound, a scary sound at bedtime. He tries to convince himself that there are no monsters. But even hugging Lionheart, his beloved stuffed animal lion, does not give him enough courage. So, he runs. He runs and runs and runs, wearing his pajamas with the lion's tail and furry lion cap, clutching Lionheart all the way. Through the streets, over the hills, into the forest and fields, he runs. He knows he's being chased, and he does not stop until he reaches a magical jungle full of wonders and animals, both big and small. Along the way, however, he drops Lionheart. And now the monster is coming. So, he runs again, until he runs into— literally—Lionheart, who morphs into a huge, brave lion. Together they and the animals go "away from the monster. Away from his fears." They see wondrous things and a beautiful Lost City. Richard forgets he was scared, but then the monster returns. Now, however, all the animals, Richard, and Lionheart issue one loud ROAR, and the monster and all of Richard's fears are gone "once and for all." The last scene shows Richard back in his bed with Lionheart, the stuffed animal, in his lap. The digitally enhanced illustrations are dreamy, suitable for a fantasy. Collingridge has nicely captured the look of both fear and wonder in Richard's face. The overall palette is dark but not scary.