Order Little Lion Goes To School:

By phone: 1-888-506-5458                              

By fax: 1-917-507-2835

By email: littlelion@mediamagic-ny.com

By mail: 3592 Broadway, Box 4
New York, NY 10031

Reviewed by Sasha Champagnie, Aged 10 Virginia Beach, VA

A wonderful story about a little boy who finds the courage to be himself.  It is a story that all children should read especially if they are fearful of things at school.  The pictures were very bright and colorful and gave me an idea of what it must look like in the Caribbean.  I would like this book to be a book that is in all schools so that children could learn about kids that are different to them and learn that although they are different, they are the same.

Reviewed by Clifford Cameron, Brooklyn, New York, USA

I recently had the opportunity to read a most wonderful book.  The title “Little Lion Goes to School” by Kellie Magnus. The story, built around a young Rastafarian child Zachariah nicknamed ‘Little Lion’ deals with the “first day at new school-itis”  Now having young children of my own, and attempting to encourage them to read, I thought that having them read the book to me initially was a novel way to gauge the reaction of a child to the authors writing.  I gave the book to my son to read, as he is the eldest of my kids, but the one that I have to push when it comes to reading anything external to his educational pursuits.  He of course made up his face and fussed, but proceed to begin what he considers a tiresome chore.  After trudging through the first paragraph, you could see his interest begin to perk up as he recognized aspects of ‘Little Lion’ in himself.  His voice rose, and became more confident and the words began to pour out with increasing excitement.  When he reached the point where Little Lion considered his “goose to be cooked”, he broke into laughter, as that is a favorite statement of mine whenever he is in trouble.  His eyes sparkled with the energy that was put forth by Little Lion in his first day at school, I could see him making the comparison to his own first day, and finding similarities.  I must commend Kellie for being able to express that first school day fear that we have all faced with a true childlike descriptiveness.  I truly enjoyed reading this book, with my child and to see him continue through to the end of the story without a complaint is truly a credit to the author’s methodology.  Reading can be one of, if not the most daunting task that a parent has to ever undertake with their child[ren].  I think I may have found a new format to assist with easing the pain of this move.  Simply have the parent(s) acquire a copy of the Little Lion series of books, and watch in amazement as your fearful  (or perhaps indifferent) child begin to see themselves in the story being read. It is a very easy read, and I sincerely believe parents facing the job of moving their children to a new environment, to assist through positive reinforcement, this eventual transition. This is a strongly recommended series for intermediate and beginning readers.

Published by Media Magic New York, and with artwork by Michael Robinson, Little Lion Goes to School brings a Caribbean flavor to being in a new environment, and how it can be overcome with creativity and ingenuity. A true masterpiece, I hope that this author can give us more, and more, and even more.