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katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
This looks like a picture book, but the author's name indicates that this is one for older children.
The protagonist is in hospital, we aren't told exactly what is wrong, but find out that he's very sick, and needs an operation but that it's risky. A nurse talks to him about how she copes with problems, and the boy uses his own fantasy world to cope with his illness.
I read this thinking "how would I share this with a child?" - a lot of it isn't text but comic-like pictures with no words, with admittedly-clever themes that run into each other and tell a story of Jim starting off feeling scared of his 'lion', and eventually taming it and accepting his help to overcome pain and fear.
Some of it I really didn't know how to interpret, or how I would describe it to a reader, so I would recommend this for older children who can read it for themselves, or who can interpret theh pictures with less parental input, though I would want to read it alongside them.
The operation scene, which we see mostly through Jim's hallucations were quite moving, the ending touching.
It's a book that could be read over the course of a single bedtime, and would, like A Monster Calls, be a story that might be brought out to help a child cope with a hospital stay or illness.
One for slightly older children, I would say ages 7+
The protagonist is in hospital, we aren't told exactly what is wrong, but find out that he's very sick, and needs an operation but that it's risky. A nurse talks to him about how she copes with problems, and the boy uses his own fantasy world to cope with his illness.
I read this thinking "how would I share this with a child?" - a lot of it isn't text but comic-like pictures with no words, with admittedly-clever themes that run into each other and tell a story of Jim starting off feeling scared of his 'lion', and eventually taming it and accepting his help to overcome pain and fear.
Some of it I really didn't know how to interpret, or how I would describe it to a reader, so I would recommend this for older children who can read it for themselves, or who can interpret theh pictures with less parental input, though I would want to read it alongside them.
The operation scene, which we see mostly through Jim's hallucations were quite moving, the ending touching.
It's a book that could be read over the course of a single bedtime, and would, like A Monster Calls, be a story that might be brought out to help a child cope with a hospital stay or illness.
One for slightly older children, I would say ages 7+
matilda_holroyd_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
It’s a bittersweet story of Jim a young boy stuck in hospital waiting to have life changing surgery when he is visited in dreams by his protector (a lion) who is tasked with seeing Jim through this challenging and dangerous time where his life is hanging by a delicate thread.
foggy_rosamund's review against another edition
3.0
The text is nothing special, but the art is absolutely stunning. Amazingly emotive, funny, and surreal. The images of boy and lion are spectacular. Definitely worth looking at.
ellalouise99's review against another edition
4.0
This book would be great to use with small groups of children who can all see a copy of the book as the illustrations in this story are very powerful and important for the message. The story follows Jim as he searches for his finder, representing his strength to mentally prepare for a big operation. This book could therefore help children or siblings of children who are ill and having to have an operation. There are also lots of opportunities for predictions and questions about how the characters may be feeling based on the illustration. A powerful and unique book which would be perfect to use with KS2 children.
what_katie_read_in_ca's review against another edition
4.0
A unique graphic adaptation of Hoban's story. Certainly a dual young/adult reader audience! There is a lot to unpack here and some fascinating underlying themes.
annabel_kathryn's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderful book with beautiful illustrations. Poetic and enthralling.
jmshirtz's review against another edition
2.0
I wasn't a big fan of this mashup of text and art. I found myself wondering if whole sections of the story were missing, and I'm still not sure of the answer. While the story itself may be comforting to others, I personally mostly felt disappointed that my love for the cover didn't continue throughout the book.
ellielabbett's review against another edition
5.0
It is stories like these that remind me of how literature really is such a work of art. Jim’s Lion is an incredible book, completely abstract and a highly interpretive text that could be read in so many ways. To me, Hoban and Deacon speak of a young boy’s journey of summoning courage- perhaps even finding the strength to allow oneself to BE courageous, and discovering what lay inside all along. The beauty in this narrative lies in the gaps between the text and picture, fused together to build a story with a depth and complexity that is difficult to articulate. A book that deserves to be read again and again; I first encountered this text a couple of months again and am not surprised how much seemed to have changed for me and how small details felt far more significant.