HOW LEO LEARNED TO BE KING

A king is deposed, a lesson is learned, and a message is delivered, all in the pages of a quick-moving, intriguing tale of the jungle. Pfister’s prose flows jauntily as he describes Leo, a pompous and pretty useless king of beasts. When a humble warthog complains about Leo’s ceaseless roaring and is about to be smacked into the next kingdom, another beast intervenes, and Leo is banished as the extraneous member he is. Leo is stunned: “It has always been this way. Why should I change?” But he observes that everyone gets along fine without him, and further notices that he can be of help to others; after completing several acts of charity, he is welcomed back. Eschewing the trappings of crown and throne, Leo understands that it is a privilege to serve. The pages feature inviting colors of the savannah: rich greens and complex combinations of tans and browns. Pfister creates the animals in his trademark wet-on-wet technique, but when the facial expressions are crucial, he brings in details and puts the message in focus. (Picture book. 5-8)