For Kids: Lily, the Lemur and the Lamb King by Bob Hartman
* I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.
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Whimsical · Kids CHapter Book · Imaginative
Lily, the Lemur and the Lamb King
The Me Tree and other adventures
Written by Bob Hartman, Illustrated by Keila Elm
Published by The Good Book Co.
ABOUT THIS BOOK:
The whimsical and imaginative short stories in this adventurous book will transport children to a different world, giving them a fresh way to engage with truths about Jesus and what it's like to follow him.
They’ll join Lily and her friend the Lemur on a series of adventures in the Lamb King's mysterious and exciting playground. They'll explore a me-tree, play Scrabble with a slow loris, and save an entire family of squirrels from the cold!
Along the way, children will find themselves exploring key truths about Jesus' kingdom—such as how to be welcoming, what gives people value, and why a self-sacrificing king is the best king of all.
Perfect as an independent read for children aged 7+ or as a read-aloud for ages 5+.
My Thoughts:
Join Lily and her Lemur friend as they encounter The Lamb King. Together, the trio embark on imaginative adventures. On 12, exciting adventures spanning one chapter each, they meet new friends and discover strong moral values that cover topics like fear/worry, selfishness, materialism, bullying, patience, grief, equality and more. Each adventure is short, stands alone and has adorable illustrations. The characters are relatable, quirky and fun for young readers.
I'd recommend this as a read-aloud for early elementary readers, but it can easily be enjoyed as a chapter book for the more advanced reader. I read this book to my first grader (age 6.5). After each chapter, we paused to discuss what happened in the story, how the characters felt and the moral, using the reference key at the back of the book to relate the parallels of Jesus to the Lamb King, as well as the truth of who God is and what His Word says.
My daughter's favorite story was "Not That Kind of King". The animals wonder what sort of king the Lamb King is, then witness him give away all his wool to help a squirrel family who is cold and hurting. Through that, they learn he is a giving king, a beautiful parallel of Jesus who gave His life for all mankind.
My favorite story was "Nan's Handbag", where the animals meet motorcycle-riding Nan (Lily's grandma). Lily jokes that Nan keeps everything in her purse. As a result, Nan has trouble carrying it. The Lamb King offers three times to carry it for her and on the third time, Nan relinquishes it. Lily later notices the load has lightened and the lamb is tired. It's another parallel of God, who takes and bears the weight of all man's sin.
Overall, we loved this imaginative book and highly recommend it!
Note for sensitive readers: In one story, a grouchy hermit crab is snatched away by a big bird, thus ending his life. The last story covers grief (loss of Lily's Nan), and while hopeful for the Christian/believer, it is sad. I recommend reading these together with a parent or guardian.
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