Leo doesn't roar but he's a very good listener. His brother can roar loudly, his sister can roar for a long time, and his dad wants Leo to roar too. However, Leo has talents that can save the entire lion pride, if he can teach them to listen as well as they roar too. The geo art style in the illustrations is gorgeous. I would have really liked it if Leo stayed "nonverbal" but still "found his voice," there's not a ton of nonverbal representation in children's books and I disliked that Leo was only able to make his dad proud of him when he did what his dad wanted. This is still a cute little story about each individual having their own strengths, but children may need some guidance to understand that their parents are proud of them even if they aren't naturally talented at something.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

Thanks to Netgalley to provided me an advanced copy.

It's a dear story that tell us the reality of things when you cannot do something or they can't and you are just judge them or yourself for not doing it. But you have enough time to learn that kinda things what you wanted to learn when you were a child or whenever you do that purpose. Yes i do, i can do whatever i want meanwhile it will be the right side an i getting used to taking more discipline when i do something i want to improve later.

4.2/5.0

84%

This story is a tad bit long. Leo is a lion his big brother roars loudly, his big sister roars for a long time, but Leo doesn’t roar at all, he listens. His listening has helped the family but his father still feels shame that Leo cannot roar. When a fire breaks out in the savanna it will take Leo’s roar to warn the Lions and the other families. Their roar comes loud and long. Overall the illustrations are better than the story. They are bright and colorful and it’s quite different from what you see in many picture books and for that alone I love this book.

Leo, the lion cub, lives with his parents and two siblings. They are a happy family with no problems except that Leo doesn’t roar. His dad wants him to roar like a good lion, but his mom isn't worried, she knows he will roar when the time comes. Leo is a listener, and listening saves his family's lives twice. That doesn't matter to his father, he still wants him to roar. One day there is a scary situation and the time has come, Leo roars long and loud to warn the lions and save the day. The story isn't this though. We see Leo knowing he can roar, but still being quiet and listening most of the time. I like the important lessons about listening, not jumping in and always making noise, as well as the lesson about being yourself and not letting others turn you into someone you don't feel comfortable being. This book is written in very simple words and in a clear font, for an easy read aloud, as well as making it a pleasant read for early independent readers. The illustrations are amazing. They are drawn using geometric shapes and shading which draw the eye and add so much to the story. I definitely recommend this book to all libraries: public, school, classroom and family.

With vivid illustrations and a special message of a little Lion that listened, your children will be engaged. Lions are known for their loud and long roars. When little lion does not match his brother and sister in their roars, his father becomes frustrated with him but his mother in her wisdom knows the strength of her son. His strength saves the pride and gives a valuable lesson. Loved this one.

A special thank you to New Classic Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

The book is visually stunning. The illustrations capture your eye and your heart from the very first glance at them. The overall plot line is very positive and builds up the idea that having alternative strengths are just as important as main stream ones. My only concern was with not resolving the issue of the father being angry with the little lion. There needed to be a moment of him apologizing and acknowledging that the mother was right about him roaring in his own time. Children can learn a lot from these books and I think it is important to send out the right messages to them, especially regarding their treatment by the adults in their life.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There is so much that I love about this book. The artwork is interesting, unique, and beautiful. Leo, while different from the other lions, and lacking support from some of his family, always acts in the interest of the ones he loves. The one thing I did not like is that reading it is kind of like riding a ferry in rough waters. You kind of skip from one part of the story to the next with no real transition. It was awkward to read.

All in all, I expect kids will really like this story.

This is the story of a lion cub who didn't roar like his siblongs. His father was worried . But mother was confident about him. She gave him space. Eventhough he didn't roar he listened the sounds around him . Was aware of the surroundings saved others using his skills. When it was necessary he roared. Roared like a pro.
This beauifully illustrated book helps to improve self confidence of children.

The Little Lion that Listened is a very sweet, beautifully illustrated story about a lion cub who hasn't found his roar. Instead, he listens while everyone around him - his parents and siblings - make all kinds of noise and wonder if Little Leo will ever measure up. He does, of course, ultimately finding his roar spectacularly in time to safe his family and friends.
The little ones I babysit have loved of the story, but I quickly learned that I needed to skip through many of the pages because it's a bit overly long to maintain their interest (2 1/2 yrs and 1 1/2 yrs).

Something is wrong with the Kindle formatting of my book: Idk if it's a you problem, a me problem, or a Kindle problem, but all of the pages are in incorrect order. So I can't really follow the story? So I probably won't review it, unless I can figure it out on my end. I love the pictures though, and I think I know how the book is SUPPOSED to go, but I don't want to talk about it publicly without being 100% sure.

I absolutely ADORE the illustrations in this book. So different and unbelievably cute! I'm a sucker for lions anyway, but honestly, so cute. I think the story was strong enough, although I didn't like the part where the Dad lion yelled at Leo just for "not being like everyone else". I think (I hope!) that we've moved passed this type of shame-parenting technique so I was surprised to see it in a modern book. If it wasn't for this part, I would absolutely recommend it.

The Little Lion That Listened is a sweet story about a lion who has a history of listening rather than roaring like his other siblings. The illustrations are unique and eye-catching. As a former kindergarten teacher, it made me think about how as a class we probably would've studied the illustrator's artistic method and recreate their own pictures in a similar manner (ex: collages, or Paint by Sticker/color activities)

As an introvert, I connected with Leo and his ability to listen rather than roar and I know that many of my students would've related as well. Because he was different than the other lions, he was misunderstood and under appreciated. Throughout the story, his mother kept repeating, "He will grow up to roar when he is ready," which I think can connect to parents/kids that may be on a different developmental pace than others. The story continues to showcase the benefit of Leo's listening skills as he saves his family from hunters, hyenas, and allows him to find water.

One thing that I was confused about is the writer's purpose for this book. I went into the book thinking that it purpose was to showcase the benefits of listening and being different, but in the end, Leo saves the day by roaring. So, was the purpose to highlight that sometimes others develop at different paces? Either purposes are important, but I do think that the title of the book could lead to some confusion.

As much as I loved the themes and connections in the story, it doesn't stand out in my mind as a book that I would prioritize reading aloud to kids. The writing style didn't include many descriptions or opportunities for vocabulary. The plot seemed to jump from one part to another without any transitions or sense of fluidity. There wasn't much character development aside from the fact that Leo learns to roar in the end.

Despite these thoughts, this still could be a great resource to read to showcase the importance of listening and the benefits of being different. I would say that this book would work best with preschoolers or younger.

Thank you Netgalley and New Classic Books for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and New Classics Books for a free digital copy.

Stunning illustrations and a great message about how listening is just as an important skill as having your voice heard.

This book is perfect for the quiet child in our lives. It reminds us that maybe it isn't lack of courage that keeps some people quiet, but the fact that they are saving their voice for only what is most important. I would read this to my little ones!

Little Leo was different from his brother and sister, he didn't roar. His father just didn't understand why he didn't roar. Leo's mother said he would roar when he was ready. But Leo had another skill that helped protect him and his family, he listened. He saved his family from hunters, from the hyenas, heard the rushing water; but still no roar. Leo's brother and sister both competed in the Yearly Lion Roaring Competition but not Leo. Now Leo's dad was mad! That made Leo feel bad and he ran away. From his hiding place he saw that the jungle was on fire! He had to save his family. So he did the only thing he could do he roared! Leo became famous for saving the lions from the fire.

A cute little album!

In this story, the author deals with the idea of finding your voice, without following the path that others may impose on us.
It's a sweet message, which passes very well and which will undoubtedly appeal to children!
The graphic style is very colorful and geometric, which changes a bit from what we are used to seeing.

In short, to discover! ^^

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
I love the illustration style, it is unique and appropriate. The story had a point with character growth, and a lesson. All great for a children's book. I don't love the archetype of the non-understanding father but it's very common in children's book.

Oh my, the artwork in this book is soooo good! I’m seriously impressed. Each page looks like a painting! The story is very sweet and wholesome, too! Little Leo is such a good listener and I liked how lovely and supportive his mother and siblings were.

His father was a bit frustrating, though. I do wish he apologised to Leo. It seemed like he was unsupportive of everything Leo tried to be, and only once Leo did what he wanted (roared), he accepted him. I didn’t like his characterisation much as a result. Kids should know their parents will love them even if they can’t reach a goal their parents want for them, so for a kids book, I’d want that scene of his father accepting him without him having to roar added in, you know? That’s my only nit-pick, though. The story is truly lovely and the art is gorgeous!

Do you choose a book by its cover? I do, many times. And this is one such occasion. What a treat to the eyes this cover is! Those huge brown eyes peeking from behind the leaves, the vivid contrasting amalgamation of reds and yellows and teal… Does the content of the book match up to the cover?

It sure does!

Leo, the lion cub, lives in a happy family with his parents and two elder siblings. Everything is fine except for one thing: Leo doesn’t roar. His dad wants his son to roar. His mom knows that when the time comes, he will. Though Leo ends up saving their lives twice, his dad is still worried that he can’t or won’t roar. But when there is an emergency, it is Leo who saves the day with his mighty roar. Does the book end on this happy note that Leo finally learnt to roar? Nope! The true end is the last line of the book; the line that shows that Leo hasn’t changed his basic personality, he doesn’t misuse his strength, and he knows how to make best use of his abilities when needed. After all, he is “the little lion that listened”, not the little lion who roared.

I loved this sweet story. It shows parental frustrations as well as parental acceptance. It shows children that they needn’t change their behaviour to suit others’ expectations, as long as they know what’s right. It also proves the importance of listening in the art of communication.

The book is NOT written in rhythmic verse, which is such a welcome change. I’m tired of reading kiddie books where the authors forcefully work in rhymes even where it isn’t feasible. This book is written in very simple words and in a clear font, so as to facilitate storytelling adults as well as early independent readers.

As much as I loved the content, the illustrations steal the thunder. Oh my! I haven’t ever seen such type of sketches in storybooks: the geometric shading of the animals lends a unique touch to the book. The drawings are vibrant and almost leap off the page with their charm.

Recommended to all young readers. Be a good lion and don’t forget to listen!

Thank you, NetGalley and New Classics Books, for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Leo, an adorable little lion cub, does not roar unlike his parents and siblings. His father worries about him and thinks he's strange but his wise Mother says, "He will roar when he is ready." Leo doesn't roar because he focuses and listens to the world around him.


Three times his patience and listening skills save the lives of not only his family but the entire pride. The final dangerous, deadly occurrence that Leo witnesses has Leo erupting in a loud, long, clear roar that gets everyone's attention and gives him superstar status with the other lions from that time forward.

The moral of the story encourages parents and others to give kids time to grow and mature into who they are created to be. The illustrations are beautifully done and have a "Lion King" style which kids will love. The life lesson is invaluable for both the young and old to take away. I highly recommend this book.