The Lion Who Stole My Arm

Gr 2–4—A hungry lion attacks young Pedru, leaving him with just a stump for an arm. In his village, lions are a threat in several ways, but, luckily, he survives, angry and wanting revenge on the lion. Life is drastically changed for him, but he learns to manage by giving up soccer and practicing drawing and using his spear. Despite the author's intent of creating a story to help readers understand the plight of lions in Eastern and Southern Africa, the execution is somewhat inept. There's a lack of clarity as to where the story takes place (clues lead to Mozambique as most likely), what tribal people are being depicted, and when the story takes place. Apparently, the village has rarely been visited by a car, though they know of Land Rovers. In the epilogue, readers learn what has happened to Pedru as an adult and the changes to the village as a result of learning to coexist with lions, implying that most of the book took place during an earlier time period. Much of the factual matter in the back refers to Kenya, and often the author talks in generalities about Africa rather than a specific country. Various animals, birds, and trees are mentioned with footnote descriptions, but when Pedru climbs a tree, there is no mention of what species it is. For a more grounded story at this level, try Alexander McCall Smith's Akimbo and the Lions (Bloomsbury, 2005). On the plus side, this is a short chapter book with black-and-white illustrations and plenty of action that will appeal to unfussy readers who are being introduced to longer fiction.—Carol A. Edwards, Denver Public Library, CO