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Doesn't matter any time
Chocolate or vanilla
We're a team
And I'll share mine."
Lion Food is a particularly interesting compilation of poetry. On the surface, the collection is seemingly for children; however, digging deeper, it's apparent that lion food is the essence of one's existence. Complete with background illustrations, Ann Hines' poetry is simple, yet profound. For instance, "Bad Day," a poem consisting of simple declarative sentences beginning with, "Mom said," revolves around lessons learned the hard way.
On a literal level, children will enjoy Lion Food as many of the poems dwell on memorable brother-sister quarrels—where the sister imagines feeding her brother to a lion—eating ice cream, summer camps, first day of school, and much more. While there is no consistent rhyme scheme, the poems shift from dark colors to a rainbow of hues toward the end that is sure to catch the readers' eye.
The simple structure of phrases such as, "Camp should be great. Camp should be fun," help beginning readers visualize the scene. More than anything else, Lion Food is an expression of feeling, of emotion; the author invites readers to write poetry and notice how, by feeding the lion that is our pent up emotion, there is an almost cathartic feeling of freedom.
In "My Brother," the author depicts a sister watching a brother swallow a worm whole and turn blue after. Perhaps not to this degree, but young and old alike can relate to fond childhood memories of doing what they shouldn't be doing and learning their lesson the hard way. Ultimately, readers will find this poem to be quick and enjoyable, a worthy one-time read.