The Little Stone Lion

Author: Kim Xiong
Hardcover: 40 page(s)
Age Range: 4 - 8

Book Description:

In a small Chinese village a stone-carved lion sits and watches as a guardian spirit and holder of the villagers' collective memory. Older people stop, stroking his head to remember the past and children walk by knowing he watches over them to keep them safe. Whimsical illustrations and inventive visual perspectives depict the lion's expressions as he recounts his memories of the villagers over the years in daylight and evening and in the changing of the seasons.

Booklist
In this handsome Chinese picture book illustrated in muted tones, a stone lion sits, watches, and reflects. The "guardian spirit of the village," he knows how the villagers depend on him. Walking out at night, the children see him and feel safe. Old people stroke his head and remember their childhoods. And, for his part, the stone lion remembers everyone who has grown up in the village. Expressive ink drawings warmed by soft colors illustrate the short, effective text. Although the main character never moves and is, in fact, made of stone, Xiong creates a remarkably varied series of pictures, conveying a great deal through subtle changes in the lion's expression, different perspectives and weather elements, and the occasional inclusion of human characters. Teachers and parents looking for simple stories set in China will find this offers a unique view of a Chinese village as seen through the eyes of a stone lion of great dignity and quiet charm.