Always Follow the Rules! Unless…

Library Lion
Written by Michelle Knudsen & Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Age Level: 2-5 Years
Published July 25, 2006

I can explain.

Sometimes, it’s okay to break the rules.

“The lion wandered all around the library. He sniffed the card catalog. He rubbed his head against the new book collection. Then he padded over to the story corner and went to sleep.”

Lion loves the library. Miss Merriweather, the librarian, loves rules. Since there’s no rule stating that lions aren’t allowed in the library, Lion is permitted to stay, as long as he behaves. But one day, there’s an emergency, and Lion is forced to run as fast as he can and roar his loudest roar to get help. What will happen now that Lion has broken the rules?

This book feels like a library. It is gentle and soothing with a hushed feel to the text and a softness about the illustrations. It’s a beautiful story about friendship, about winning people over, and about the power of books to draw all kinds of people in and bring them together.