Reading Between the Lions

Gr 1—3—So, if you're prey to a bully, it's ok for you to call the bully names like lunatic, local lout, little dunce, and demented, right? That's one of the first messages to be gleaned from this annoying, contrived rhymed story of Lionel, who is being tormented by Picky Pete (so called because he's known for picking his nose and wiping his hand on his seat). One day, Lionel appeals to the two stone lions in his garden for advice. Lion 1 gives him many nonsense possibilities, including some that would just perpetuate the problem and would make Lionel a bully as well. Lion 2 encourages him by saying, "You don't need courage every day,/It's there inside…but hides away./So now (and here's the tricky part)/JUST FIND THE LION IN YOUR HEART." When he next encounters Picky Pete, Lionel remembers Lion 2's advice and literally roars back at Pete until the bully runs away. Problem solved. You'll get more mileage from Anthony Browne's Willy the Wimp (Knopf, 1996) than from this one.—Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID