The Lion Who Stole My Arm
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3.4 • 5 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Zoologist Nicola Davies presents an illustrated novel for young readers that proves you don’t need two arms to be strong. Pedru has always wanted to be a great hunter like his father, but after a lion takes his arm, he worries that he’ll always be the crippled boy instead. Pedru longs to kill the lion that mauled him and strengthens himself to be ready for the hunt. But when the opportunity arises, will Pedru have the strength to turn his back on revenge? Zoologist Nicola Davies perfectly merges a heart-pounding adventure with an important message about conservation, and Annabel Wright’s gorgeous black-and-white illustrations bring Pedru’s story to life.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Davies brings her typical sharp insights into animal behavior and ecological conservation to the story of a boy named Pedru, who lives in a small African village. One evening, Pedru is attacked by a lion. He fends it off, but at a cost: "Pedru hit it again, and for a moment it looked right at him, its golden eyes hot like the sun. Then it snarled and ran away, and Pedru saw that it had taken his arm." Pedru awakens in the hospital Wright's watercolor spot illustration shows the boy's upper arm wrapped in bandages, with nothing remaining below his elbow. During the book, Pedru wrestles with his newfound difficulty writing and his feelings toward the lion, which range from fear and anger to an eventual understanding. While Pedru's anxieties and frustrations are slow to recede, Davies emphasizes the positive developments that arise from his tragedy, including his discovery of a drawing talent and introduction to a group of scientists studying the lions. An epilogue underpins the story's positivity, and an afterword details the dire threats facing lions in the wild. Ages 7 10.
