Nobody Laughs at a Lion by Paul Bright, illustrated by Matt Buckingham is one of those picture books that I picked up browsing in a neighboring library. It is the story of Lion trying to find what he is best at. He tries being the fastest runner but Cheetah beats him, the best tree climber is Monkey, the best one at sneaking through the grass is Snake, and the best at knocking down trees is Elephant. What could Lion possibly be best at? It is not until he is so frustrated that he ROARS that it is suddenly clear what makes Lion unique and the best.
The illustrations are bright colored and fun. The simple text makes this a perfect read-aloud for toddlers and preschoolers. Kids will anticipate the ending, but will enjoy the story along the way. There is even opportunity for gestures to be combined with the text and for restless kids to get up and move.