Product Description

Swoosh-swoosh,
Whoo-whoo
Tiptoe-tiptoe,
Yum, yum, yum--
KERCHEW!

What are the strange sounds in Johnny Lion's room?

This beloved I Can Read Book captures all the misery--and coziness--of a day in bed with a bad, bad cold. Every child will triumph with Johnny Lion when he feels better the next day and the only sound in his room is a healthy ROAR!

This easy-to-read story about the easy-to-love Lion family is told through the lighthearted text of Edith Thacher Hurd and the tender pictures by her husband, Clement Hurd, the illustrator of Goodnight Moon.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5373001 in Books
• Published on: 2002-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Turtleback

Amazon.com Review
"Johnny Lion had a bad, bad cold. Kerchew! Kerchew! Kerchew!" Relegated to his bed for the whole day, Johnny dozes on and off, awakened periodically by his mother and father to take some red medicine. But each time he takes the medicine, he has bad dreams about swoosh-swooshing owls with big round eyes and giant red rabbits tiptoeing towards Johnny to add him to a stew. It takes a comforting song, something delicious to eat for supper, and a nap in his parents' bed to finally do the trick, giving Johnny happy dreams and restoring him to good health.

There's nothing quite so uncomfortable--and yet comforting--about spending the day in bed with a cold. Johnny Lion's doting parents' firm yet loving caregiving is just what the doctor ordered. Young readers with a touch of the sniffles (or a "bad, bad cold") will recognize the not always unpleasant coziness of giving in to mom and dad's attentions, and look forward to the moment they can roar with health again!

Edith Thacher Hurd and Clement Hurd's magic is alive and well in the classic Johnny Lion books (Johnny Lion's Rubber Boots and Johnny Lion's Book). Clement Hurd is the beloved illustrator of Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter

Review
"An engaging story with delectable, sunny pictures." -- -- San Francisco Examiner

About the Author

Edith Thacher Hurd was born in Kansas City, Missouri. She wrote more than seventy-five children's books, including Starfish, I Dance in My Red Pajamas and the Johnny Lion books, many of which were illustrated by her husband, Clement Hurd.

Customer Reviews

Twisted!
This is my favorite twisted children's book. Ostensibly, it is a story about a child who is sick in bed and has bad dreams. It all ends happily. It's a fine book to share with your children.

But, you could read it this way... Johnny Lion is sick in bed and, after taking some "bad red medicine" begins to hallucinate. He sees an owl and a giant bunny in his room. His mother and daddy keep pushing the bad red medicine on him: "'Oh no,'said Johnny Lion. 'I do not want any more of that red medicine.' Johnny Lion did not want any more owls. He did not want any more red rabbits. But Father Lion said, 'Yes, you must take your medicine.' So the little lion opened his mouth wide and took the medicine."
Later he comes down from his "bad red medicine" high and has a nice dream: "He dreamed he was a big big lion...He had a big, big yellow mane. He dreamed he had big, big paws. He dreamed he had a big, huge mouth and big white teeth...Then he ran into Mother and Father Lion's room. The big, huge lion opened his moth wide and went, 'ROAR!' 'Oh, oh, oh,' said Father Lion. 'Help, help help!' cried Mother Lion."

That's what they get for pushing that bad red medicine! What a sweet dream: " 'Good morning,' someone said. It was Mother Lion. 'Did you have sweet dreams?' Father Lion said. 'Oh yes, indeed,' Johnny Lion said.

A great book. It's twisted and I love it. You will too.

Not a great story
I just read this book to my niece last night. It is an "I can read" book, designed for young readers, but it is rather lengthy, which is why I think I ended up reading the book to my niece. Plus the dialogue is a little forced... a lot of repeating the phrase 4 times in a row "Oh no oh no oh no oh no". I understand a little repetition is good in children's books, but this one kind of was overkill.

I think kids starting out with reading will get bored half way through the book because its rather long. And the older kids that want longer stories will get bored with the actual story line.

I did pick up on the craziness of the "hallucinations" after the medicine. That was kind of odd, then again, if I read right, it WAS published in the '70s.