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Janet Doolaege

The Story of an Ordinary Lion Kindle Edition

by Janet Doolaege (Author), Alain Perry (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition

(12)

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Leo, an ordinary lion, living in the desert, finds his life changed utterly, first when his life is saved by Father Jerome and he goes to live in a monastery, and then when he is wrongly accused of eating the monastery’s donkey, Rebecca. The monks can’t understand what he is saying, but he must somehow prove his innocence. This straightforward story is an entertaining version of a medieval legend, but it also touches lightly on the problems of understanding between animals and people and the crucial importance of translation generally… And (wonders Leo) might a lion be able to fly?

Reading age

7 - 18 years
Print length

113 pages
Language

English
Grade level

3 - 12
Accessibility

Learn more
Publication date

February 12, 2012
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0078NRMGW
Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 12, 2012
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1.0 MB
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 113 pages
Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 12
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 7 - 18 years
Customer Reviews:
(12)

About the author

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Janet Doolaege

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I live in France, but I still feel a strong link with England, where I grew up and where I first began to love birds and animals.

In "Ebony and Spica" I describe how I rescued two fledglings, first a blackbird and then a starling, and how both of them lived with me for many years. They were unique characters.

Children's literature in English is a treasure house, and I hope I'm making a small contribution to it with my books. "The Story of an Ordinary Lion" and "Tobias and the Demon" are both told from an animal's point of view and are intended for the 8-12 age group. "Flora and the Wolf", for the same age group, tells of a friendship between a girl and a wolf and is also a reworking of an old legend - with probably some basis in truth. "The Christmas Dolls' House" is a cosy story about two girls, a dolls' house and a magic ring, and is set in present-day England.

I'm interested in the unexplained - strange phenomena that are a challenge to any kind of dogma - as will be apparent from both "A Paris Haunting" and "Candlepower". Psychometry plays a role in "Woman in Blue and White". This novel, set partly in Greece, describes coercive control and an escape to a better life, and is also available as an audiobook, professionally narrated by Lesley Dessalles. "The Road through the Woods" is a sequel to "Candlepower", catching up with certain characters some twenty years later, and exploring the importance of trees and forests and the need to stop their destruction as a sacrifice to road traffic.

"Strange Days" is a novella set in Paris during the first Covid-19 lockdown. Pensioners Chantal and Philippe find themselves cut off from their familiar lives, while Chantal is haunted by her memory of someone she met in Italy before the pandemic.

Please take a look at the videos on this page if you would like a foretaste of my books. You'll hear me reading aloud.

Any feedback will be welcome, especially reviews! Thank you.

Customer reviews

12 global ratings

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mc Wright
Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2015
Format: KindleVerified Purchase

wonderful book, and great illustrations!

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Jenny Twist
An exciting tale, beautifully told
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2015
Format: Kindle
Leo is an ordinary lion. At least, that’s how he describes himself. But you soon find out there is more to him than that. When he injures his paw he has the courage to approach a nearby monastery for help and kindly Father Jerome takes out the thorn and dresses his wound. Unlike Androcles’ lion, Leo does not just refrain from eating Brother Jerome, he moves in with him and becomes his loyal companion and servant. Leo’s duty is to guard the self-important donkey, Rebecca. It is a wonderful life and he is perfectly happy until one day it all goes horribly wrong.
This is a re-telling of the legend of St Jerome, told by the lion himself. Doolaege breathes life into the tale and the characters. You grow to love Jerome, the gentle monk who always welcomes guests, even rogues and scoundrels – even lions! – and the capricious and self-centred Rebecca; and – of course – the loyal and courageous lion, Leo Parvus.

An exciting tale, beautifully told in fluent and flawless prose. Janet Doolaege is a pleasure to read.

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rusamm
Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2014
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
sweet story - love that lion!

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Mr. Richard Lw Bunning
The Inside Is as Good as the Cover.
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2013
Format: Kindle
This is a well-crafted or rather re-crafted, mix of legend history and scripture for young people. Possibly it is actually based on a misconception; an error of translation, as Saint Gerasimus of the Jordan was almost certainly the man that helped the lion, and not Saint Jerome. As a central theme of this story is errors in translation between languages, this confusion seems most appropriate. This is a short good news story, written to be accessible to children. This is nothing to do with the Good News Bible, which is very poor translation, a modern interpretation, of ancient scriptures.
It is false to make a literary connection with C.S. Lewis's "god" lion, but this proverbial story should sit in close proximity in the section of "Christian" themed writing for children. For parents that hope that their darlings might just find time from modern distractions to read books by the likes of Louisa Alcott, Lucy Montgomery and George MacDonald, this story of a spiritually inspired lion makes for first class bedside reading.
If young again I'd love to have this story read to me, or to enjoy reading it for myself if a little older. Parents of all faiths and none can't go wrong in seeking out a copy of this story for the PC or e-reader.

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South Carolina Dad
An extraordinary story
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2012
Format: Kindle
My younger daughter, aged 10, calls this "a very good, interesting book. When I read this book, I felt like I was in the story... I think kids would love it." She says that it is "one of the best books I have ever read. My favorite character was the lion that had wings". My elder daughter, aged 12, is enthusiastic too. She says that she liked "that the setting in most of the book is in a monastery... My favorite part in the story was when the donkey disappeared. I really think that this book is good enough to get published."

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Top reviews from other countries

Laura
a charming story full of great lessons for children of all ages
Reviewed in India on October 2, 2019
Format: KindleVerified Purchase

Quote from the book:
"One does not choose the path that in the end one treads."
end of quote

I fell in love with Janet Doolaege's mesmerising prose while reading The Road through the Woods a little while back. So I decided to try one of her children's books too. The Story of an Ordinary Lion was my choice and I wasn't disappointed!
This re-telling of the legend of St Jerome, told by the lion himself, is a fable meant for readers of all ages. And it was FABULOUS!!

Since I have also chosen it for one of the read-alouds I regularly do for children of all ages here in my place, I'm going to make this review a little special and include in it the thoughts and reactions of the children who listened to it - a group of 20 little adventurers between 6 and 14 years of age. :)

Leo is just an ordinary lion! And while he was spending his time in the desert, doing what all ordinary lions do, a thorn got stuck in his paw. And it hurt Leo very much! He couldn't hunt anymore because his wound started to fester, and he wondered how he will survive. But then an amazing flying lion appeared!
His Name was Leo Alatus, Winged Lion of St Mark.

Now I know what you'll all think, because the children and I thought exactly the same. :D And our ordinary lion set the question into words:
Quote from the book:
"But how can you be a lion? Lions don't have wings."
end of quote.

As it turns out however, Leo Alatus explains:
Quote from the book:
"Absence of proof is not proof of absence. And your statement that no lions have wings is invalidated by the fact that standing here before you is one lion with wings."
end of quote.

I have to admit we had a cartload of questions here. What does that mean? What does it say? :) I asked the little ones to try and give themselves the answer. Because that's the best part in a read-aloud. Listen and learn and talk about it!

'Just because you think flying lions don't exist it doesn't mean they really don't exist! It's just that you don't know about it!' was one of the answers I got from the children.
And just because you keep saying Santa doesn't exist doesn't mean he doesn't exist either! was another. Now try arguing with that. :D
But the answer I loved most came from a little older child: 'It means that when you cannot really prove that you are right, you should not keep saying you are right. cause you might be wrong you know.'

Back to the story once that was cleared up,
the winged Lion sent our poor wounded Leo to Father Jerome, who lived in a monastery nearby. Of course the brothers were all scared at seeing Leo enter the monastery! Anybody would be scared at seeing a lion come close! But Father Jerome was very kind and unafraid, he welcomed Leo and healed his paw.

Now here was the part where the reactions were mixed. Some of my braver adventures were wishing to also be able to pet a lion that way, while others firmly stated they would run for their lives the instant they saw him. :) But every single one of them was in awe of Father Jerome's kindness and courage!

Leo likes it in the monastery and grows very fond of father Jerome, but if he is to remain there, he will need to earn his meals, just like everyone else there. So father Jerome gives him a task. To look after Rebecca, the donkey used to collect firewood.

Of course Leo finds the task to be lowly and not worthy of a lion like him, but he loves father Jerome and agrees to do it! And it doesn't really help that Rebecca is a very smug donkey. She brays and kicks and complains and makes unflattering remarks about the tuft at the end of Leo's tail. The banter between the two kept the children laughing all the way through!

Leo and Rebecca settle into a daily routine and all goes well at the monastery, until the day Rebecca disappears!
No one knew what had happened to her and everyone blamed Leo! he didn't do his duty to protect Rebecca. And even worse than that... he must have eaten her!! That is what everyone believes! Everyone in the story that is, and perhaps some of us, but my little adventurers were in Leo's corner from the very beginning. 'He didn't eat the donkey!!' was the unanimous consent.

Whether the little ones were right or not, I'm not going to tell you. You're gonna have to read this to find out! :D
What I will tell you though is that we all had a whole load of fun reading this charming story to the end! Leo's adventures made us roar with laughter but also think about what makes us better human beings.
Don't be harsh in judgement, don't blame and condemn without proof, and above all, be humble and kind!

Reading for and with children is one of the most beautiful experiences a book-lover like me can ever have. Because children's enthusiasm to a good story is irresistible! Their simple joy ... catching! And when the book and story live up to their expectations, the way this one did, that is when the real fun begins!! They will laugh and sigh and Oh!! and Ah!!
My read-aloud for The Story of an Ordinary Lion was a complete success. Every single little one loved it! And they asked for more! We will be reading another Janet Doolaege story before long

Quote from the book:
'Surely, it is better to strive for perfection, not mere excellence.
Perfection, brother, is not of this world."
end of quote.

In a flawless charming prose, this author delivers an exciting tale that is an absolute pleasure to both read and listen to! I highly recommend it to all little adventurers out there!
May you find it just as exciting as my own group of adventurers did!
Happy reading! :)

and remember...
This is the story of an ordinary lion.
But what is an ordinary lion after all?

Read more

Laura

a charming story full of great lessons for children of all ages

Reviewed in India on October 2, 2019
Quote from the book:
"One does not choose the path that in the end one treads."
end of quote

I fell in love with Janet Doolaege's mesmerising prose while reading The Road through the Woods a little while back. So I decided to try one of her children's books too. The Story of an Ordinary Lion was my choice and I wasn't disappointed!
This re-telling of the legend of St Jerome, told by the lion himself, is a fable meant for readers of all ages. And it was FABULOUS!!

Since I have also chosen it for one of the read-alouds I regularly do for children of all ages here in my place, I'm going to make this review a little special and include in it the thoughts and reactions of the children who listened to it - a group of 20 little adventurers between 6 and 14 years of age. :)

Leo is just an ordinary lion! And while he was spending his time in the desert, doing what all ordinary lions do, a thorn got stuck in his paw. And it hurt Leo very much! He couldn't hunt anymore because his wound started to fester, and he wondered how he will survive. But then an amazing flying lion appeared!
His Name was Leo Alatus, Winged Lion of St Mark.

Now I know what you'll all think, because the children and I thought exactly the same. :D And our ordinary lion set the question into words:
Quote from the book:
"But how can you be a lion? Lions don't have wings."
end of quote.

As it turns out however, Leo Alatus explains:
Quote from the book:
"Absence of proof is not proof of absence. And your statement that no lions have wings is invalidated by the fact that standing here before you is one lion with wings."
end of quote.

I have to admit we had a cartload of questions here. What does that mean? What does it say? :) I asked the little ones to try and give themselves the answer. Because that's the best part in a read-aloud. Listen and learn and talk about it!

'Just because you think flying lions don't exist it doesn't mean they really don't exist! It's just that you don't know about it!' was one of the answers I got from the children.
And just because you keep saying Santa doesn't exist doesn't mean he doesn't exist either! was another. Now try arguing with that. :D
But the answer I loved most came from a little older child: 'It means that when you cannot really prove that you are right, you should not keep saying you are right. cause you might be wrong you know.'

Back to the story once that was cleared up,
the winged Lion sent our poor wounded Leo to Father Jerome, who lived in a monastery nearby. Of course the brothers were all scared at seeing Leo enter the monastery! Anybody would be scared at seeing a lion come close! But Father Jerome was very kind and unafraid, he welcomed Leo and healed his paw.

Now here was the part where the reactions were mixed. Some of my braver adventures were wishing to also be able to pet a lion that way, while others firmly stated they would run for their lives the instant they saw him. :) But every single one of them was in awe of Father Jerome's kindness and courage!

Leo likes it in the monastery and grows very fond of father Jerome, but if he is to remain there, he will need to earn his meals, just like everyone else there. So father Jerome gives him a task. To look after Rebecca, the donkey used to collect firewood.

Of course Leo finds the task to be lowly and not worthy of a lion like him, but he loves father Jerome and agrees to do it! And it doesn't really help that Rebecca is a very smug donkey. She brays and kicks and complains and makes unflattering remarks about the tuft at the end of Leo's tail. The banter between the two kept the children laughing all the way through!

Leo and Rebecca settle into a daily routine and all goes well at the monastery, until the day Rebecca disappears!
No one knew what had happened to her and everyone blamed Leo! he didn't do his duty to protect Rebecca. And even worse than that... he must have eaten her!! That is what everyone believes! Everyone in the story that is, and perhaps some of us, but my little adventurers were in Leo's corner from the very beginning. 'He didn't eat the donkey!!' was the unanimous consent.

Whether the little ones were right or not, I'm not going to tell you. You're gonna have to read this to find out! :D
What I will tell you though is that we all had a whole load of fun reading this charming story to the end! Leo's adventures made us roar with laughter but also think about what makes us better human beings.
Don't be harsh in judgement, don't blame and condemn without proof, and above all, be humble and kind!

Reading for and with children is one of the most beautiful experiences a book-lover like me can ever have. Because children's enthusiasm to a good story is irresistible! Their simple joy ... catching! And when the book and story live up to their expectations, the way this one did, that is when the real fun begins!! They will laugh and sigh and Oh!! and Ah!!
My read-aloud for The Story of an Ordinary Lion was a complete success. Every single little one loved it! And they asked for more! We will be reading another Janet Doolaege story before long

Quote from the book:
'Surely, it is better to strive for perfection, not mere excellence.
Perfection, brother, is not of this world."
end of quote.

In a flawless charming prose, this author delivers an exciting tale that is an absolute pleasure to both read and listen to! I highly recommend it to all little adventurers out there!
May you find it just as exciting as my own group of adventurers did!
Happy reading! :)

and remember...
This is the story of an ordinary lion.
But what is an ordinary lion after all?

Images in this review

Report
Louise Gillett
Brilliant children's book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 8, 2014
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
This book is extremely well-written and tells a fascinating tale. I would definitely recommend it for both children and adults.

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Sarah
A brilliant book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 5, 2013
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
An Ordinary Lion is a brilliant book full of adventure, friendship and even a little comedy. Would recommend for all readers aged 7 upwards.

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The Story of an Ordinary Lion Kindle Edition

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About the author

Janet Doolaege

Customer reviews

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Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting tale, beautifully told

4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars

4.0 out of 5 stars The Inside Is as Good as the Cover.

4.0 out of 5 stars An extraordinary story

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars a charming story full of great lessons for children of all ages

a charming story full of great lessons for children of all ages

Images in this review

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant children's book

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant book

Report an issue

Five Stars

An exciting tale, beautifully told

Four Stars

The Inside Is as Good as the Cover.

An extraordinary story

a charming story full of great lessons for children of all ages

Brilliant children's book

A brilliant book