Brianna Baker
Author • Illustrator
The Lion
"Gorgeously rendered illustrations....a sweet tale of boyhood friendship that will help young renders learn about making friends and being open to new people."
-Kirkus Reviews
"This is a warm and charming story about the sometimes difficult task of making friends when you are different or an outsider. And how a simple gesture of acceptance from just one person who makes an effort to reach out can break the ice and make a difference. Can't wait to read more from this new and talented author/illustrator."
-Award-winning author Jim Malloy
"The map illustration at the beginning helps young readers learn basic map-reading skills as they follow the different locations on the map that are represented in the story...This is a story about children being children. A great little book"
-Readers Favorite Book Reviewers
"What a sweet little story this is! The language and story line is very simple yet the message of friendship and acceptance comes through in a very strong way. The illustrations are beautiful and leave lots of room for kids to imagine many more stories with this group of friends and their campground adventures.
-Award-winning author Patti Tingen
Synopsis
Five friends create a kingdom in the woods by mapping out their land and burying their treasures in a box. One day one of the five notices a treasure missing from his box. He follows footprints through the woods, which lead him to an interesting new friend.
What children can gain from this story: This book is great for early readers as well as a fun story for older kids. The illustrations encourage readers to be attentive to detail and notice mapping and hidden imagery. This book shows young boys placing value on empathy, creativity, and generosity in their friendships rather than rough play. This book engages children's social and emotional awareness by encouraging them to accept differences and be open to new friendships.
Making the Book
I came up with the idea for a character who is attached to this lion suit which he wears everywhere and has become a crucial part of his identity. This character is somewhat inspired by a preschool student I met once who was obsessed with lions.
Here are some early sketches designing the lion boy character.
After designing the characters, I illustrated the story with watercolor, colored pencils, and ink for details. Many of the characters were drawn on a separate sheet of paper from the watercolor backgrounds, then cut and paste into their environment with an x-acto knife and glue.
