Chloe and the Lion

It’s not very often you find a picture book that is completely original and hilarious. This is one of those inventive, creative finds that opens kids’ minds to new possibilities and helps them think outside of the box.

Chloe and the Lion Details

Title: Chloe and the Lion
Author: Mac Barnett
Illustrator: Adam Rex
Publication Year: 2012
Website: www.macbarnett.com
Age Group: Kindergarten, Early Elementary, Mid Elementary
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Comments

My 8 and 10 year olds thought this book was hilarious. It always makes me so happy when I see my kids’ eyes light up while I’m reading. To be honest, I’m not sure my 4 year old really understood what was going on. I think my 6 year old understood what was happening, but it went over my 4 year old’s head.

What makes this book so inventive and unique is that not only does it have multiple styles of drawings used for the illustrations, but the author and illustrator are a part of the story and shown using claymation style figures. The book is basically an argument between the author and illustrator over how the book should go. At one point, the illustrator gets eaten by a lion, so the author (who is a terrible artist) takes over drawing the illustrations.

With each new page, my older kids’ eyes sparkled a little brighter. I could see the gears turning in their imaginations. We come to understand what a picture book is and what the rules are and then a book like this one turns that preconceived notion it’s head. The creators of this book, clearly had a great time while making this clever book and it shines through on every page.

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