Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot BackBy Shel Silverstein
Before I get into this review, I'd like to apologize for going MIA for the past few months or so. While I still read a lot during that period, it was mostly a lot of non-fiction and none of it was anything worth making a post about as I have a personal policy on never reviewing anything I haven't finished. That said, while I have been forcing myself to read more fiction, when something doesn't immediately grab my attention, I rarely bother going back to it. There are so many books out there waiting to be read and enjoyed that it simply doesn't make sense to plow through something you just aren't invested in. Required reading in school taught me that lesson.
However, for all the time I spent trying to find something I wanted to read, I'm glad I waited to write about this book, Shel Silverstein's “Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back”. Not only is it his first book for children, but it is virtually unknown by most people who are familiar with Silverstein’s other works.
On the surface, there is not much to this simple children's book. Written in 1963 (and predating his first book of poetry “Where The Sidewalk Ends” by roughly 10 years), Lafcadio is the story of an aloof lion who leaves his innocent life in the jungle to join the circus and become the world's best sharpshooter. Through this journey, his adventures become more complex, but Silverstein never sacrifices humor or whimsy to get this point across.
Children will most definitely enjoy the wonderful illustrations, not to mention absolute absurdity of a clueless lion who is seemingly oblivious to many mundane parts of human life which we all take for granted, for instance, getting a haircut or riding on an elevator. And did I mention, Lafcadio is obsessed with marshmallows?
On a children's level, this is a wonderful little story with plenty of laughs for everyone. And that's why I recommend this one as the perfect read-a-loud for you and your kids. The chapters are short enough to read as installments for the nightly bedtime story, but long enough for younger audiences to read themselves without getting bogged down with lengthy details and story developments. Reading this book when I was younger gave me a sense of accomplishment when I finally finished it, but there were still some parts of the book I didn't fully understand.
Which brings me to my next point.
From an adult perspective, this book is large. And by that, I mean that some of the themes within the story will astound you being stuck in a book like this so subtly. Rest assured, the kids won't even notice, but there is a true philosophy of “self” going on here. What defines you? What represents you? What details of life do you tend to take for granted? These are some of the questions you might think about after you finish Lafcadio.
And that's why I truly love this book. It's one of the few children's books I've read that, to this day, remains incredibly deep and deliciously shallow all at the same time. I sincerely hope you will check this one out. It's one of my favorites.
We have one copy of this book and you can find it under the heading “J SIL”. Check it out today!
Posts
