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Children’s Book Blog: May 2025

Lions!

For May, we are featuring lions! Why lions? Well, Joanna and Connor are currently obsessed with them which means I am currently obsessed with them. 

My favorite thing about lions? They are the only big cats that live in groups—a pride—and the females raise their cubs together.  It takes a village to raise a cub/child, right? 😉

Here are roar-some books to read with your cubs!

The Lion’s Share by Matthew McElligott

The idiom ‘lion’s share’ means the largest or most significant portion of something. In this book, the dinner party guests take the ‘lion’s share’ of cake until there’s nothing left for their host – the lion king.  Then, they pridefully promise too much in return. 

This book explores fractions and multiples of two – making math fun (and funny!) for kids. 

Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen and Kevin Hawkes

A picture book about a lion finding his place in a library? What more could you ask for? This book has a permanent spot in our home library so you know it’s a good one!

It’s about understanding circumstances/exceptions, belonging/inclusion and making things right. Library Lion gets a lot of reactions from Joanna and Connor: from awes to oh nos and boos to woohoos!

“Sometimes there’s a very good reason to break the rules.”

Lion Lessons by Jon Agee   

In Lion Lessons, a young boy learns what it takes to be a lion from a master instructor – a real lion.  The boy may not have the loudest roar or the fastest legs but he has the most important trait of being a lion – having the courage to stand up for your friends!

 While geared towards 3-5 year olds, it’s a great read for all ages.

 

The Lion & The Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

This wordless adaptation of Aesop’s classic fable is beautifully done.  I struggle with wordless books –with ‘reading’ them at bedtime. 

Pinkney’s illustrations are so full of life that words truly aren’t needed. In these pages, a picture really is worth a thousand words teeming with compassion, trust and bravery.

The Inside Scouts Help the Kind Lion by Mitali Banerjee Ruths and Francesca Mahaney

Have a budding reader in the house? Look for the acorn in the corner! The acorn is Scholastic’s designation for readers age 4-7.

These books, including The Inside Scouts series, build confidence through repetition. They use speech bubbles to engage readers and make the stories easy to follow.  

In The Inside Scouts, kids shrink down in size to help animals in need – like the kind lion! We like the Best Buddies series as well. 

Magic Tree House: #11 Lions at Lunchtime by Mary Pope Osborne

I have a confession: I added this to the list to highlight our new Yoto Mini Sets.  Yoto Minis are compact, travel-friendly audio players with various story cards.  Great for ages 3-12. One of our sets includes the Magic Tree House Books #1-8. 

I couldn’t believe how enamored Joanna and Connor were with the Yoto.  Their favorite places to listen? In the car and in their fort! And I love them, too— no screen time, lots of imagination.

 

A note on this blog: Michelle Milford is the Office & Marketing Manager at Town Hall Library.  She has two young children – Joanna (7) and Connor (5).  All three have a deep love of books and voracious appetites for reading.  Here they’ll share their monthly book recommendations.