Danny, The Angry Lion

Danny, the Angry Lion

From School Library JournalPreSchool-Grade 2-There are no sausages or raspberry juice in the house, and Danny is furious. Accompanied by an animated toy lion, the grouchy boy leaves home to prowl the neighborhood in a lion costume, planning to take out his anger on strangers. Instead of attacking, however, he finds himself assisting a bicyclist and a newspaper lady, and then befriending a boy with plenty of toys but no companions. Back home, Danny sheds his lion skin at the gate and whistles happily to his door. As in Andrew's Angry Words (North-South, 1995), Lachner again empathizes with youngsters' common frustrations. The dialogue is brief and realistic, creatively incorporating growls and vivid metaphors. Gusti's ink-and-watercolor illustrations fluidly evoke Danny's journey. Full-page scenes and opposing keyhole glimpses present everything from untied sneakers to a sparrow bathing in a puddle. Readers will relate to the young protagonist's emotions and appreciate the humor.Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VACopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Danny wanted sausages and raspberry juice for lunch, but his mother only gave him beans and potatoes. Danny hissed and angrily pushed his plate away. A wild and dangerous gleam shone in his eyes. Danny donned his lion suit, sharpened his claws, and set out on the prowl, determined to devour anything and anyone he got his paws on!?A series of surprising encounters takes the edge off Danny's appetite--and his anger--as Danny discovers how being friendly can turn the blackest mood bright.?From BooklistAges 3-5. Danny, a little boy displeased with his supper, dons a lion suit and storms out of the house. He's hankering for sausages and raspberry juice, but he'll eat anything in sight. He decides a man repairing a bike will be his main course. The lady who works at the newspaper stand will be next, and the little boy playing with the ball will be dessert. Danny's dark mood brightens when the man with the bicycle asks his help; the newspaper lady wants him to fetch her coffee; and the little boy turns out to be a terrific new playmate. This lacks the punch of Molly Bang's When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry. . . (1999) or the imagination of Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are (1963), but this is, nonetheless, a charming, energetic story about a child's dealing with anger. Irrepressible Danny's cavorting in the vibrant illustrations is sure to bring a smile of recognition to toddlers and adults. Shelley Townsend-HudsonCopyright