Picture Books About Lions

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Check out this list of fiction and nonfiction books about lions. They’re the perfect addition to your collection of animal books for kids. Add them to your study of the zoo, Africa, or animals in general!

I am always on the hunt for books to add to our unit studies. When we study the zoo, I like to fill our basket with various books about animals and zookeepers.

Africa studies call for books about the continent itself as well as all the different kinds of animals that live there.

And, no animal unit study is complete without a book or two about the king of the jungle!

Whether you choose to read a version of the Aesop fable about the lion and the mouse or you’re choosing a good nonfiction picture book or you’re on the prowl for a great storybook to read with your kids, you’re sure to find something that fits the bill among the books featured below.

25 Children’s Books About Lions

Fill your book basket with a great collection of children’s books about lions. Most of these books can be found at your local library or used bookstore.

If you have a hard time finding them, you can order them on Amazon by clicking the images below.

 

Amazing Animals: Lions – A basic exploration of the appearance, behavior, and habitat of lions, the majestic big cats of Africa and India. Also included is a story from folklore explaining why lions roar.

African Lions – Do you know. . . What lions eat? Where baby lions are born? How lions hunt? Read this book to discover the answers!

Lions (African Animals) – Discusses lions, including their African habitat, the food they eat, and their behavior.

 

National Geographic Readers: Lions – Roar with lions in this exciting reader. Through beautiful and engaging photos, kids will learn all about these majestic big cats.

Face to Face with Lions – You look straight ahead. You try to breathe normally. You can smell the scent of the huge cat that is staring back. You are a cameraman. He is the King of Beasts. Your only thought is “I hope he has eaten today.”

National Geographic Kids Mission: Lion Rescue – Meet real-life lions and learn about their habitats, challenges, and successes, plus learn how YOU can take action and save these amazing endangered creatures.

 

Andy and the Lion – In this retelling of Androcles and the Lion, Andy meets a lion on the way to school and wins his friendship for life by removing a thorn from his paw.

The Happy Lion – The lion at the little French zoo is a favorite of all the townspeople. Every day they stop by to feed him tidbits and say, “Bonjour, Happy Lion.” Naturally, when the lion finds his door open, he decides it would only be proper to visit all his friendly neighbors in return. But, wait—sacré bleu!Why is everyone fleeing in terror?

The Lion & the Mouse – After a ferocious lion spares a cowering mouse that he’d planned to eat, the mouse later comes to his rescue, freeing him from a poacher’s trap.

 

Little Lion – A new title in the appealing Look at Me picture book series for younger boys and girls presents attractive color illustrations of a mother lion and her cubs in realistic, detail-filled settings.

Lizzy the Lioness – You don’t have to be the biggest to be the strongest, and you don’t have to be the loudest to be the bravest. Show your children God’s truest definition of bravery with the timeless story of Lizzy the Lioness.

The Lion’s Paw – In this famous African folktale, a lion has a thorn in its paw. Who will take it out? Only the little mouse is brave enough!

 

The Lion and the Little Red Bird – Here is a gentle mystery about a silent, gallant lion and a sweetly cheerful bird—two friends who are attracted to each other through the universal language of art.

Thank You, God, for Daddy – In this adorable board book, a little lion cub thanks God for his wonderful daddy―a daddy who gives big hugs and piggy back rides, who takes great care of him, and most importantly, who offers love, guidance, and encouragement.

Renato and the Lion – The touching, magical story of a boy in a war-torn country and the stone lion that rescues him.

 

If I Were a Lion – How could such a sweet little red-haired girl’s mother accuse her of being wild? Worse still, how could she possibly make her sit in the time-out chair? That’s precisely what this little girl wonders as she sits in the chair and lets her imagination (but not her manners, no way!) run wild: “If I were a lion,/ I’d growl and roar/ and knock the dishes/ on the floor./ I’d scare the hair/ right off the cat,/ but do you see me doing that?”

We’re Going on a Lion Hunt – We’re going on a lion hunt. Time to put on your safari hats, says a teacher before leading her class on an exciting imaginary journey. Off they go! They slosh through mud, splish-splash through rivers, swish through grass, and finally come face to face with a lion!

Tawny Scrawny Lion – Once there was a tawny scrawny lion who chased monkeys on Monday—kangaroos on Tuesday—zebras on Wednesday—bears on Thursday—camels on Friday—and on Saturday, elephants! So begins the classic story of a family of ten fat rabbits that teaches the hungry lion to eat carrot stew—so that he doesn’t eat them.

 

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (picture book edition) – A picture book retelling of C. S. Lewis’s classic story The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for the youngest fans!

Lions: Kings of the Jungle – Let’s explore the jungle and virtually play with the wild cats. This educational book uses the unique combination of texts and images to deliver eye-awakening information pertaining to jungle animals.

Library Lion – Miss Merriweather, the head librarian, is very particular about rules in the library. No running allowed. And you must be quiet. But when a lion comes to the library one day, no one is sure what to do. There aren’t any rules about lions in the library. And, as it turns out, this lion seems very well suited to library visiting. His big feet are quiet on the library floor. He makes a comfy backrest for the children at story hour. And he never roars in the library, at least not anymore. But when something terrible happens, the lion quickly comes to the rescue in the only way he knows how.

 

How Do Lions Say I Love You? – Sweet, simple rhymes and glowing illustrations in soft pastels show the touching ways that animals—from elephants to giraffes to chickens—bond with their families.

Lion Lessons – There are seven steps to becoming a proper lion, including Looking Fierce, Roaring, Prowling Around, and Pouncing. Our young hero, a rather meek and scrawny human boy, does his best to learn the necessary skills during his training with a master instructor (who just happens to be a real lion). After a grueling set of lessons, the boy discovers that that the final step—Looking Out for Your Friends—is the most important of all. That’s how any kid can earn his lion diploma (not to mention the affection of every cat in town).

When Your Lion Needs a Bath – Does your lion need a bath? When your lion needs a bath, you must be a little sneaky. After all, have you ever met a cat who likes water? So gather up your towels and rubber ducks and get that lion into the tub! But be careful…or you just might end up in the bath, too!

The Lion Inside – A mouse feels small and insecure and determines that what he needs to do is learn how to roar like a lion. He knows he has to act brave when he approaches a lion to learn how. In a hilarious turn of events, the lion is afraid of mice! The mouse comforts the lion, they become friends, and we learn that there’s a lion and a mouse inside all of us.

Which of these books about lions will you choose to read first? 

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