Koning the Lion
Do you have a child that want to go exploring by themselves?
Koning the Lion is a story full of valuable lessons about gaining independence and learning that there is no place like home! This book tells the story of young lion who wants to explore the land beyond his father’s kingdom. This book, which takes place in the Kalahari Desert begins with the introduction of Koning who was the son of the king of the kingdom. Koning loved exploring the kingdom with his father, but longed to seek great adventures without his father.
Koning’s Great Adventure
One day, Koning decides to leave the kingdom and “enjoyed the feeling of being free”. However, the longer he traveled, the more tired he became until he fell fast asleep in a nearby den. As the book continues, Koning meets many animals in the desert including hippos, antelopes, and monkeys. Although he enjoyed his time with each animal, he began to realize that he missed home and longed for his father. He also realized that as a lion, he can’t climb like a monkey, swim like a hippo or leap like an antelope. What Koning didn’t realize is that he was being followed the whole time by his Askani, his father’s friend who was watching over him.
The Great Lesson
At the end of the book, Koning’s father says “I give you boundaries because I love you, not because I don’t want you to have a great adventure. You are a lion. You were created to run, not swim with hippos, leap with an antelope, or climb with monkeys. This whole kingdom is yours, but you can only lead it when you know who you are and what you were made for.” I love this statement because as parents we need to set boundaries and it’s hard to know when to let go and give your children more freedom.
Language Tips and Podcast
As you are reading this book to your child, discuss the feelings of Koning throughout the book. He goes through a lot of emotions ranging from bored, excited, scared, sad and then finally grateful when he is home again. What I loved most about this book is having a conversation with the author Alexis Glaze, who gave some wonderful insight into how she began writing this book and some interesting facts about the names of the characters! Listen to the podcast to learn more.
Alexis Glaze is not only an author of Koning the Lion, she is also a children’s pastor that is a wonderful storyteller. During our podcast, Alexis gives me and all of my listeners a sneak peak into various tips in how her storytelling craft and how she modifies her storytelling for children with autism. Don’t miss it!
To learn more about Alexis and her kickstarter campaign that helped to publish this book, click here.