The Lion's Whisker

This story follows two siblings who are constantly bickering. Their grandma comes up with a task for them to complete: get a whisker from a lion for a potion that will make them stop arguing. The brother and sister join forces to make a plan. I enjoyed this retelling of an Ethiopian folktale. The back of the book includes activities that kids can do that relate to the book.

I read this book to my daughter Izzy. Izzy really enjoyed the pictures in this book. Her favorite part was when the lion gave the kids a whisker. She also loved the ending to this story where the brother and sister finally get along.

Rebecca Sheir’s mission is to bring folktales to people. She does this on a weekly basis through the podcast Circle Round, produced by WBUR, Boston’s NPR radio station. Sheir’s show is devoted to the less common folktales – less Little Red Riding Hood and more The Grateful Prince. Now, in conjunction with Storey Publishing, she’s able to bring the stories she tells on her podcast to a larger audience through publishing a book of her own.

The Lion’s Whisker: Sister and Brother Take On A Challenge Together is the fourth book released by Rebecca Sheir through Storey Publishing. Illustrated by the Kenyan artist Nikita Abuya, the book is an adaptation of a traditional Ethiopian story of learning to get along with someone you fight with. This variation of the folktale involves a brother and sister team, rather than the typical versions of the tale which tend to skew towards older protagonists.

Sheir’s adaptation of the folktale to appeal to a younger audience is a brilliant choice. In The Lion’s Whisker, Sister and Brother pair constantly fight, much to their grandmother’s chagrin. Finally fed up, she offers to make them a special, secret potion to get them to get along. The only difficulty is that in order to make the potion she requires a hard-to-find ingredient… a lion’s whisker.

Sister is determined to get that lion’s whisker, and baits a lion with some meat by the stream. Brother is more cautious, but comes around the next day to join her in her quest to fetch it. By the third day, they are able to ask King Lion for his whisker, which he willingly gives. There is no potion, of course. There is no quick fix for permanently solving all disagreements. All there is is the patience, care, courage, and respect that Sister and Brother learn through working together to get the lion’s whisker. These lessons they can carry with them throughout the rest of their lives.

Nikita Abuya’s illustrations are vibrant and fun. Her art is dynamic and stylized without being distracting. Helpfully, the book also contains a variety of activities for kids to do together to continue to impart the lessons of “patience, care, courage and respect.” From mask-making to scavenger hunts inspired by the story, this book will reward its readers, both young and old.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this book.

It was a beautiful tale of strengthening a sibling relationship with colourful, bright illustrations. I loved all the extra elements such as the craft ideas, definition of folktale etc. It really added to the quality of the book.

This book would be the perfect addition to any library. It would be a great book to use with your own children who may be struggling and it would also be the perfect book to use in a classroom setting. It could be used for many different lesson objectives with a range of ages.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

This is a folktale from Africa, which means it's one I was not already familiar with. This is the story of a brother and sister who just cannot get along with one another. They don't share their toys or food, and they argue constantly. Finally one day their grandmother is fed up with it and suggests that they go find a lion's whisker to make a special potion to help them get along. The sister is much more interested in this than her brother, but he follows her as she tries to lull the lion into trusting her. They eventually work together and manage to get a whisker from the lion.

The illustrations were bright with solid colors. They definitely helped to show the story as it progressed, even if it does give them impression that you can safely talk to a lion (danger kitty!). I'd definitely be okay reading this book a few times because they message is a great one for anyone with more than one child, especially if they struggle to get alone. Overall I give this book 4.12 out of 5 stars.