  | Nani and the lion Author: Williams, Alicia | |
| Price: $23.98 | ||
Summary:
When Lion becomes angry at the sound of Nani's drums, she is determined to stand up to him, even if no one else will.
| Illustrator: | Cunha, Anna |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (12/01/25)
School Library Journal (11/21/25)
Booklist (01/01/26)
The Hornbook (12/23/25)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 11/21/2025 K-Gr 3—From multiple award-winning author Williams comes a lively, folktale-style story about Nani, a brave girl whose love of drumming helps save her village from an angry lion. Told with rhythmic language and repetition, the narrative builds tension as Nani tries to keep her drumming quiet so as not to disturb the king lion who despises noise. The onomatopoeic drum sounds, presented in playful fonts, add visual energy to the text and invite an animated read-aloud. Cunha (A Story About Afiya) fills the pages with bright illustrations capturing the warmth and color of the African landscape to follow Nani's story. VERDICT Children will delight in the adventure and admire Nani's bravery and cleverness in taming the lion in this bright, musical new folktale perfect for read-alouds.—Heidi Dechief - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 01/01/2026 No one dares make noise in King Lion’s land! Animals and people alike fear his anger and tiptoe around as quietly as they can. Young Nani, however, hears music in the world around her and loves to play her drum. She starts out softly, but as the music expands she cannot help getting louder. When people hear her songs, their bodies start to sway. Between the drumming and dancing, noise cannot be avoided, even though they do fear the lion’s anger. Font size and appearance express the rhythmic language, inviting the audience to participate. Although Nani wants to make music, she doesn't want to endanger her friends and family. She tries going into the jungle to play, but then the animals want to join in. Inevitably, King Lion angrily appears, and Nani shows her cleverness as she outwits the lion. Digital illustrations, with the look of thick paint or even felt, vividly depict the village and jungle settings with bold colors and textures. With a modern, quick-thinking heroine, this folkloric story would make a great read-aloud. - Copyright 2026 Booklist.
