The World's Greatest Lion
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2.0 • 1 Rating
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
From the creators of The World's Greatest Elephant comes the real-life story of the MGM Studios Lion.
Perhaps the most recognizable Hollywood animal--outside of Lassie--is "Leo the Lion," MGM Studios' famous mascot. For decades his image introduced hundreds of motion pictures, and Zamba the lion acted in dozens more. But he wasn't always a Hollywood star, and he certainly proved to be much more.
This real-life story of Zamba, told by world-renowned animal behaviorist Ralph Helfer and Caldecott Honor recipient Ted Lewin, follows the famous lion from an orphaned cub in Africa to iconic Hollywood actor. But Zamba's greatest role wasn't scripted and it certainly wasn't captured on film. In 1969, the canyon that housed Ralph Helfer's animal ranch was ravaged by floods. As death claimed many of the animals, dozens were led to safety by one heroic lion.
Zamba's story, beautifully told and illustrated, is one that will entertain and inspire--both cubs and lions.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This adaptation of the 2005 adult title Zamba: The True Story of the Greatest Lion That Ever Lived offers a remarkable animal story and beautifully showcases Lewin's skill at portraying realistic, expressive animals. Dominated by earth tones and dark blues, Lewin's watercolor portraits of Zamba at times call to mind Jerry Pinkney's images of another memorable cat in The Lion and the Mouse. The story opens in Zambia, where a woman in a safari camp rescues an orphaned lion cub and names him Zamba. When the cub grows too wild to live safely among humans, his keeper contacts animal behaviorist Helfer, who brings the lion to his animal sanctuary in California. In emotive third-person narrative, Helfer (who previously collaborated with Lewin on The World's Greatest Elephant) describes training Zamba to be less aggressive he eventually becomes sufficiently gentle to star in Hollywood films. Zamba's heroism emerges in the book's final episode, in which he saves Helfer and the sanctuary animals during a flash flood. Scenes of Zamba interacting with children and other animals have a Peaceable Kingdom quality that will delight animal lovers. Ages 5 8.
