The Show-and-Tell Lion
Kindergarten-Grade 1–Matthew has nothing to share for show-and-tell, so he informs his class that a lion is living at his house. Everyone believes him, and this initial lie spawns many others, as the boy must answer questions about his pet's daily activities and invent fresh excuses as to why no one can come to see it. Eventually Matthew confesses the situation to his mother, who tells him he must be honest with his classmates. The boy puts all his stories into a book and explains to the children that the lion was only real in his head, an explanation they readily accept. The idea that all of the students would have believed him in the first place strains credulity, as does the fact that his deceptions would be so easily forgiven. However, the story could spark discussions about the value of honesty and facing up to bad decisions. Cravath's chalk pastel and acrylic illustrations have a pleasant hazinesss appropriate to the theme of fantasy blending into reality. Evaline Ness'sSam, Bangs and Moonshine(Holt, 1966) is a stronger book, but this one would be a useful addition for larger collections.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.