Brian thinks he is everyone’s friend until, one day, he overhears the other animals talking about how overbearing he is and that they are scared of him. Brian realises that he’s never taken their feelings and thoughts into consideration. Will he be able to change? A sweet book about learning consideration for others.

Selfishness and thinking of others - lovely story.

Brian is having a whale of a time in his territory - laughing with lemurs, pouncing and surprising the gnhus, hugging hyenas… so is very surprised to find that everyone is not at all happy with his ‘play’ - he is actually causing damage, scaring the smaller creatures and always taking what he wants first.

Can Brian listen and learn from what the others tell him?

This is a really chastening moment for Brian and the reader - realising that the point of view of others differs from our own and that our actions can be seen in different ways, and even harm others that we might care about.

A very useful lesson for young readers and great discussion point.

Lovely subdued pictures too, not too bright but young child-friendly style.

Rhymes work well when read aloud as well.

For ages 2-6.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

A wonderful lesson in using your power positively and showing respect for boundaries.

Brian is the King of the Jungle and he spends his days having ‘fun’ with the other animals by creeping up on them, making them jump, scaring them, squeezing them fiercely and generally being boastful and self-centred. As he taunts and chases the other animals, HE tells THEM that they are having fun and praises himself for his actions and behaviours. He is under the impression that the jungle is such a friendly place to live, until he overhears his ‘friends’ holding a secret meeting and realises there is actually only negative feelings towards him.

When he confronts them, they tell him “You’re strong and you’re fierce and you’re powerful, so the truth is…we are all afraid to say no.” As adults, we can probably all relate to this feeling. There are elements of abuse of power, using fear to control and also gentle nudges towards the topic of consent. Expertly navigated by Frances Stickley, the thought-provoking rhyming text can open up discussions with our little ones from an early age so that they grow up to use the power that they have bestowed on them for good and that they always know that to speak out against bullying behaviours is the correct thing to do.

We read this book with children age 3+.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending us this eBook for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

If it's an upbeat rhyming text you're after, then look no further than Brian the Lion Who Learned by Frances Stickley and Chris Chatterton. Frances Stickley is a hugely versatile picture book author who writes beautiful lyrical rhyme, cautionary tales and fun texts that play with the power of illustration. This text, however, is perfect for fans of Lu Fraser 's Mavis the Bravest, illustrated by Sarah Warburton, and Catherine Emmett's The Dodo Who Dreamed She Could Fly, illustrated by Claire Powell - both of which are also published by Simon and Schuster.

Brian is the king of the jungle and loves spending each day playing with his friends. But when he finds out that his friends don't feel the same way, Brian is confused. As he sets out to learn what he has been doing wrong, he begins to understand how he can consider the feelings of others as well as his own.

This is a fun text with great characters and a strong message. It centres around themes of appropriateness and consent but is told in a very child-friendly way. Frances Stickley uses animal characters to explore the topic and Brian the lion feels like the perfect choice for an 'in-your-face' main character. The catchiness of the title reflects the exact style of the story within the pages and it is the characters and the language that will make this story memorable, as well as the bold and brilliant illustrations.

As well as being a fantastic book to have on your shelf at home, this is also an excellent story for PSHE lessons. Through the exploration of Brian's behaviour, it encourages self-awareness, empathy and reflection, as well as the skill of speaking out. We've seen lots of picture books about fear and bravery and about overcoming shyness, but a picture book that centres around an overpowering character feels more unique. Brian is wonderfully endearing and loveable but it's great to see the other animals finding their voice too.

A top-notch book, this is a rhyming narrative about a lion who wants to engage with all the critters of his world, but suddenly overhears them have a powwow where they discuss how over-bearing he is. All the other beasties feel beholden to let him first, and deny him nothing when it comes to playing and touching and other boundary-crossing -ings, and struggle to put on a brave face when he is a bit too roar-filled and, well, liony.

Whether the child you're pointing towards this is too vociferous, too selfish, too bouncy or too needy, they will at least enjoy this as a read, as well as take on the lesson. It's great fun, and looks pretty decent too. What I appreciated most has to be the fact this is a valuable book that can clearly be put to great and obvious use for an obvious purpose, but is still so pleasurably engaging. That makes five stars in my book.

Frances Stickley has created a wonderful rhyming prose tale that lets young readers and listeners learn about friendship and respect.

Brian the Lion believes he is a friend to all the animals but he doesn't take in to consideration their feelings and thoughts in his enthusiasm to enjoy his day. He learns that you need to take time to listen and respect each other's wishes and what makes others happy

Chris Chatterton's illustrations are fantastic, comical and vibrant and will charm and captivate children under 6.

This is an ideal. book to use in reception/ early years and year 1 (KS1) or as a great bedtime read. A fun story but with a message. A book to read along to and enjoy over and over. This is a book that will be recommended to friends and colleagues in education.

An absolute winner and delight from start to finish