Sun Flower Lion (Board Book)

by Kevin Henkes, Kevin Henkes (Illustrator)

Overview

“As brilliant as can be.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A simple but thought-provoking story.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Endearing.”—Horn Book (starred review)

“A must-have for all collections.”—School Library Journal (starred review)

A sun. A flower. And a lion. With three visual motifs, three colors, and fewer than 200 words, renowned Caldecott Medal winner and #1 New York Times-bestseller Kevin Henkes cracks open the wide world and the youngest child’s endless imagination. This irresistible board book is a must-have for every reader and every family and is a perfect gift for a new baby.

On a warm morning, a little lion sleeps under a sun that shines so brightly, it looks like a flower. He dreams the flower is as big as the sun. He dreams the flower is a cookie. He lets his imagination soar.

Caldecott Medal winner Kevin Henkes uses simple shapes, limited colors, and a pitch-perfect text to tell Lion’s story in this transcendent board book. Sun Flower Lion introduces emerging readers to short chapters, action verbs, and adjectives, while bright illustrations transform simple shapes into something magical. 

Sun Flower Lion will shine at story time and bedtime and for young children just learning how to turn the pages and read on their own.  

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062866127
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/07/2022
Pages:	36
Sales rank:	992,269
Product dimensions:	7.25(w) x 7.25(h) x (d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 4 Years

About the Author

Kevin Henkes has been praised both as a writer and as an illustrator and is the recipient of the Children’s Literature Legacy Award for his lasting contribution to literature for children. He received the Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon; Caldecott Honors for Waiting and Owen; two Newbery Honors, one for Olive’s Ocean and one for The Year of Billy Miller; and Geisel Honors for Waiting and Penny and Her Marble. His other books include The World and Everything in It; A House; A Parade of Elephants; Chrysanthemum; and the beloved Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. Kevin Henkes lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin.

Kevin Henkes has been praised both as a writer and as an illustrator and is the recipient of the Children’s Literature Legacy Award for his lasting contribution to literature for children. He received the Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon; Caldecott Honors for Waiting and Owen; two Newbery Honors, one for Olive’s Ocean and one for The Year of Billy Miller; and Geisel Honors for Waiting and Penny and Her Marble. His other books include The World and Everything in It; A House; A Parade of Elephants; Chrysanthemum; and the beloved Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. Kevin Henkes lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin.

Hometown:

Madison, Wisconsin

Date of Birth:

November 27, 1960

Place of Birth:

Racine, Wisconsin

Education:

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Website:

http://www.kevinhenkes.com

Editorial Reviews

A sun, a flower, and a lion. . . . Henkes creates an impeccably designed story that’s rewarding for toddlers and early readers alike. . . . With imagination at its center, this participatory read-aloud also cleverly introduces the concept of simile and metaphor. . . . As brilliant as can be.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Masterfully employing brush and ink, with a striking color palette . . . Henkes creates a simple but thought-provoking story. Using panel illustrations, the book is divided into chapters, setting the pace of the narrative and helping the reader understand comparisons between items. . . . A perfect book for storytime reading or family bedtime sharing.” — Booklist (starred review)

“Meet the sun . . . a flower that looks like a lion; and a lion, who sees the flower and dreams about a field of them. . . . A perfectly paced picture book . . . An endearing, seemingly simple story with a wide-eyed and memorable protagonist, whose adventures will delight preschoolers and support and encourage those taking first steps toward reading.” — Horn Book (starred review)

“A white circle with a scalloped yellow border—is it the sun? A flower? A lion? It’s all three. . . . A great pick for beginning readers. . . . With a return to a . . . limited color palette like that of Henkes’s award-winning Kitten’s First Full Moon, this is a must-have for all collections.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Simple words and repeating forms draw beginning readers into this iterative volume by Henkes. Its central visual element, a circle with a ruffled edge, could signify the sun, a flower, or a lion with a mane—and here, it’s all three. . . . Yellow spreads convey warmth and light . . . in this lighthearted reading exercise.” — Publishers Weekly

“As demonstrated in A Parade of Elephants, Henkes is a master in rendering the simple fascinating . . . A story that’s warm and . . . gently humorous. . . . Two-color art, in shades of black and yellow, centers on the ruffled yellow circle that is variously sun, flower, and face of lion. . . . Perfect as a title to delight pre-readers and offer satisfying read-along opportunities.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Highly acclaimed author and illustrator Kevin Henkes captures simple beauties of nature in his new picture book Sun Flower Lion. . . . This short, concise chapter book . . .  is easy to comprehend and features common things of interest to children ages four to seven, making it a perfect addition for homes and classrooms of preschool and early elementary school-aged students.” — Portland Book Review

“There’s something new under the sun: Sun Flower Lion is a fresh spin on the traditional cumulative tale. . . . Imagination, not action, fuels the narrative. . . . [Henkes] spur[s] toddlers to look for similarities among images. The book concludes with a cozy, applause-worthy curtain call.” — Shelf Awareness

From the Publisher

As demonstrated in A Parade of Elephants, Henkes is a master in rendering the simple fascinating . . . A story that’s warm and . . . gently humorous. . . . Two-color art, in shades of black and yellow, centers on the ruffled yellow circle that is variously sun, flower, and face of lion. . . . Perfect as a title to delight pre-readers and offer satisfying read-along opportunities.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Highly acclaimed author and illustrator Kevin Henkes captures simple beauties of nature in his new picture book Sun Flower Lion. . . . This short, concise chapter book . . .  is easy to comprehend and features common things of interest to children ages four to seven, making it a perfect addition for homes and classrooms of preschool and early elementary school-aged students.

Portland Book Review

Meet the sun . . . a flower that looks like a lion; and a lion, who sees the flower and dreams about a field of them. . . . A perfectly paced picture book . . . An endearing, seemingly simple story with a wide-eyed and memorable protagonist, whose adventures will delight preschoolers and support and encourage those taking first steps toward reading.

Horn Book (starred review)

There’s something new under the sun: Sun Flower Lion is a fresh spin on the traditional cumulative tale. . . . Imagination, not action, fuels the narrative. . . . [Henkes] spur[s] toddlers to look for similarities among images. The book concludes with a cozy, applause-worthy curtain call.

Shelf Awareness

Masterfully employing brush and ink, with a striking color palette . . . Henkes creates a simple but thought-provoking story. Using panel illustrations, the book is divided into chapters, setting the pace of the narrative and helping the reader understand comparisons between items. . . . A perfect book for storytime reading or family bedtime sharing.

Booklist (starred review)

As demonstrated in A Parade of Elephants, Henkes is a master in rendering the simple fascinating . . . A story that’s warm and . . . gently humorous. . . . Two-color art, in shades of black and yellow, centers on the ruffled yellow circle that is variously sun, flower, and face of lion. . . . Perfect as a title to delight pre-readers and offer satisfying read-along opportunities.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books