Pink Lion

Arnold is the lone lion in a family of flamingoes. It's obvious--to everyone but Arnold--that aside from being pink, he doesn't look like a flamingo. When a pride of lions declares that he's "supposed to be part of OUR family," Arnold decides to "give it a try." He tags along with the group for a while, but things don't feel quite right. He can't run fast, he's not a fan of using his tongue to bathe (he misses his soap and sponge), and when he tries to roar? "Squork." The result: "I think I'll go back to my family now." Porter's uncomplicated story alludes to questions about identity and belonging without putting any undue weight on the topics; pair with Kelly DiPucchio and Christian Robinson's Gaston (rev. 5/14) for a similar theme of not-looking-like-your-family-but-who-actually-cares? The uncluttered, loosely rendered illustrations feature cheery, brightly colored animals on lots of white space; like the text, the art allows young listeners to impose as much meaning on the situation as they want. Arnold returns home to find "a very nasty crocodile" threatening the flamingoes. Reaching deep down, he lets his inner lion out ("RROOOOOOOAR!"), which scares off the croc and saves the flock. This upbeat, empowering story begins: "Arnold's life was just right. His family loved him." It ends the same way, but with more family to love. And that seems just right. kitty Flynn