Hilary and the Lions - Hardcover

Desaix, Frank

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374332371 ISBN 13: 9780374332372

Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1990

Synopsis

Lost, Hilary seeks refuge by one of the lion statues on the steps of New York Public Library and is delighted when the statues come to life and take her on a tour of the city before returning her to her parents

About this title

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 1-- In this picture book fantasy, Hilary visits New York City for the first time with her parents. She becomes separated from them, and settles down at the feet of one of the stone lions in front of the New York Public Library, waiting to be found. Hilary dozes and then awakens to find that the lions have come to life. She is given a magical ride through the deserted nighttime streets of Manhattan as the lions return her to her parents. Brief text on the left-hand pages faces full-page illustrations on the right. The representational illustrations, done in muted colors and occasionally of striking design, convey a magic that the text does not. The language is stiff and awkward. More damaging is the lack of clarity or urgency in the story line. Hilary exhibits insufficient anxiety about being lost to sustain readers' concern about her. On the other hand, the text is too plodding for the book to work simply as an evocation of the magic of a sleeping city. --Cynthia Bishop, Onondaga County Public Library, Syracuse, NY
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

When Hilary becomes separated from her parents during a visit to New York City, she climbs the steps of the Public Library. She is startled to discover that the lions that guard the steps there have come to life--as they do for one night each year. They take Hilary on a glorious nighttime tour of the city before returning her to her hotel. This is a gentle fantasy with few surprises, but it unfolds with a quiet, insistent power. The illustrations--realistic scenes painted with a soft, luminescent touch--capture all the magic and mystery of a sleeping city. The text is straightforward and for the most part understated, with occasional gems of perception sparkling throughout. A particularly clever point is the notion that the Brooklyn Bridge, humming away like a beehive, is a living thing--like us; like everything. This subtle but profound observation gives the tale an overreaching, universal meaning and appeal. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0374332371
• ISBN 13: 9780374332372
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Desaix Deborah Durland