ALA Booklist (Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2014)

Lions are a dangerous threat to the people of Pedru's village. Coming home from a fishing trip, Pedru is attacked by a lion, and he loses an arm. As he gains strength in his subordinate hand, Pedru's desire for revenge becomes stronger. Then when a villager is killed by a lion, Pedru accompanies his father to hunt him down. They mistakenly kill a lion wearing a collar, which leads Pedru to the local conservation research unit, where he finds himself at a crossroads he never imagined. Written in plain, simple language, zoologist Davies' slim book carefully teaches without preaching, as Pedru learns to look at lions in a different way and to contemplate peaceful, workable solutions to perilous problems. It also conveys the message that strength comes from within. Wright's black-and-white illustrations evocatively convey Pedru's story. A brief discussion titled "Living with Lions" follows the story, highlighting the challenges of everyday life, conservation methods to combat extinction, and the Niassa Carnivore Project of Mozambique.

Horn Book (Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

After losing his right arm in a lion attack, young Pedru thinks of revenge. And he does kill a lion, but it's not the same one; it's tagged with a collar from the Madune Carnivore Research Station. Thus begins Pedru's relationship with lion researchers sympathetic to the concerns of the villagers. Davies's story, both subtle and thoughtful, is also an exciting adventure tale.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Davies brings her typical sharp insights into animal behavior and ecological conservation to the story of a boy named Pedru, who lives in a small African village. One evening, Pedru is attacked by a lion. He fends it off, but at a cost: -Pedru hit it again, and for a moment it looked right at him, its golden eyes hot like the sun. Then it snarled and ran away, and Pedru saw that it had taken his arm.- Pedru awakens in the hospital-Wright-s watercolor spot illustration shows the boy-s upper arm wrapped in bandages, with nothing remaining below his elbow. During the book, Pedru wrestles with his newfound difficulty writing and his feelings toward the lion, which range from fear and anger to an eventual understanding. While Pedru-s anxieties and frustrations are slow to recede, Davies emphasizes the positive developments that arise from his tragedy, including his discovery of a drawing talent and introduction to a group of scientists studying the lions. An epilogue underpins the story-s positivity, and an afterword details the dire threats facing lions in the wild. Ages 7-10. (Feb.)

School Library Journal (Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2014)

Gr 2-4 A hungry lion attacks young Pedru, leaving him with just a stump for an arm. In his village, lions are a threat in several ways, but, luckily, he survives, angry and wanting revenge on the lion. Life is drastically changed for him, but he learns to manage by giving up soccer and practicing drawing and using his spear. Despite the author's intent of creating a story to help readers understand the plight of lions in Eastern and Southern Africa, the execution is somewhat inept. There's a lack of clarity as to where the story takes place (clues lead to Mozambique as most likely), what tribal people are being depicted, and when the story takes place. Apparently, the village has rarely been visited by a car, though they know of Land Rovers. In the epilogue, readers learn what has happened to Pedru as an adult and the changes to the village as a result of learning to coexist with lions, implying that most of the book took place during an earlier time period. Much of the factual matter in the back refers to Kenya, and often the author talks in generalities about Africa rather than a specific country. Various animals, birds, and trees are mentioned with footnote descriptions, but when Pedru climbs a tree, there is no mention of what species it is. For a more grounded story at this level, try Alexander McCall Smith's Akimbo and the Lions (Bloomsbury, 2005). On the plus side, this is a short chapter book with black-and-white illustrations and plenty of action that will appeal to unfussy readers who are being introduced to longer fiction. Carol A. Edwards, Denver Public Library, CO