15 March 2007

Library Lion



Author: Michelle Knudson
Illustrator: Kevin Hawkes

A big bear hug of a lion wanders into the library and after some initial commotion, the head librarian proclaims that he can stay... as long as he follows the rules. Indeed, the lion does stay and becomes a fixture in the library. (By the way, this book has some of the most endearing illustrations ever... and i'm not just saying that because i'm biased towards libraries and want to be the library lion when I grow up.)

The lion's moral fiber is tested when the librarian gets hurt and the lion is forced to choose between following the rules or doing what is necessary to get help. This crisis teaches the lion and the stickler librarian that sometimes you have to break the rules to do the right thing.

Which is a good lesson to learn, but the key word here is sometimes. Yes, sometimes rules need to be broken, but rule-breaking should not be a general guiding principal... and it definitely shouldn't be the cornerstone of your domestic and foreign policy. The Library Lion would never condone stomping all over the Constitution, impugning our civil liberties, or disregarding the Geneva Conventions in the name of freedom. (How much longer until 2008?!)

1 comment:

Chau Dang said...

lol...where did that end note come from? I think you need to stop reading children's books after watching fox new...hehe. I haven't read this book but I can just imagine the illustrations.
In Seattle there is a huge goodwill store with a life size bear in a glass display at the back of the store. When I was little I used to go there with my mom just to run to the back and marvel at this real thing towering over me. It was silly in a thrift store, but in a library, that's brilliant. :)