Hi there! I’m Mindy Sterling, and I’m super excited to share a fun story with you. It’s called “Library Lion,” written by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Let’s dive into this amazing tale!
One day, a big lion walked into the library. He strolled past the front desk and wandered around. Mr. McBee, who worked there, ran to tell Miss Merriweather, the head librarian. “There’s a lion in the library!” he exclaimed. Miss Merriweather, who loved following rules, asked, “Is he breaking any rules?” Mr. McBee said, “No, not really.” So, Miss Merriweather decided to let the lion stay.
The lion explored the library, sniffing books and rubbing his head against the shelves. When it was time for story hour, the lion found a cozy spot and listened to the stories. But when story hour ended, the lion roared loudly because he wanted more stories!
Miss Merriweather came out and told the lion, “If you can’t be quiet, you’ll have to leave.” The lion looked sad. A little girl asked if he could come back if he promised to be quiet. Miss Merriweather agreed, and the children cheered, “Hooray!”
The next day, the lion returned early. Miss Merriweather gave him some jobs to do, like dusting books and licking envelopes. The lion was very helpful and even let kids stand on his back to reach high shelves. Everyone got used to having the lion around, and they loved him!
One day, Miss Merriweather needed help reaching a book. She fell and hurt her arm. The lion ran to get Mr. McBee, but he didn’t listen. So, the lion roared loudly to get his attention. Mr. McBee finally understood and helped Miss Merriweather.
Miss Merriweather told Mr. McBee that sometimes it’s okay to break the rules if it’s for a good reason, like helping a friend.
After that day, the lion didn’t come back to the library. Everyone missed him, especially Miss Merriweather. Mr. McBee decided to find the lion. He looked everywhere and finally found him sitting outside the library.
Mr. McBee told the lion about a new rule: “No roaring unless you have a very good reason.” The lion’s ears perked up, and he returned to the library the next day.
When Miss Merriweather heard the lion was back, she was so happy that she ran to see him. Sometimes, it’s okay to break the rules, especially when it’s for a good reason.
I love this story! Libraries are full of wonderful books and stories, and you can find all sorts of adventures there. I hope you visit a library soon and discover your own favorite stories!
Library Adventure Hunt: Create a mini-library at home or in the classroom with a few books. Pretend to be the lion from the story and explore the library. Look for books with different colors, shapes, or animals on the cover. Can you find a book with a lion in it? Share your favorite book with a friend or family member and tell them why you like it.
Roaring Role Play: With a friend or family member, act out a scene from the story. One person can be the lion, and the other can be Miss Merriweather or Mr. McBee. Practice using a quiet voice like the lion learned to do. Discuss why it was important for the lion to be quiet during story hour and when it was okay for him to roar.
Rule-Making Fun: Think about the rules you have at home or in school. With the help of an adult, create a list of rules and discuss why each one is important. Then, think of a situation where it might be okay to break a rule, just like the lion did to help Miss Merriweather. Share your ideas with the class or your family.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi! Welcome to the Screen Actors Guild Foundation Storyline Online. I’m Mindy Sterling, and I’m excited to share a wonderful book with you. I recently discovered it and fell in love with it. It’s called “Library Lion,” written by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes.
One day, a lion came to the library. He walked right past the circulation desk and into the stacks. Mr. McBee ran down the hall to the head librarian’s office. “Miss Merriweather!” he called. “No running,” said Miss Merriweather, without looking up. “But there’s a lion!” said Mr. McBee. “In the library!” “Is he breaking any rules?” asked Miss Merriweather. She was very particular about rule-breaking. “Well, no,” said Mr. McBee. “Not really.” “Then leave him be.”
The lion wandered all around the library. He sniffed the card catalog and rubbed his head against the new book collection. Then he padded over to the story corner and went to sleep. No one was sure what to do. There weren’t any rules about lions in the library.
Soon it was time for story hour. There weren’t any rules about lions at story hour, either. The story lady seemed a little nervous, but she read the first book’s title in a clear voice. The lion looked up. He stayed for the next story and the story after that. He waited for another story, but the children began to walk away. “Story hour is over,” a little girl told him. “It’s time to go.” The lion looked at the children, the story lady, and the closed books. Then he roared very loudly.
Miss Merriweather came striding out of her office. “Who is making that noise?” she demanded. “It’s the lion,” said Mr. McBee. Miss Merriweather marched over to the lion. “If you cannot be quiet, you will have to leave,” she said in a stern voice. “Those are the rules!” The lion kept roaring. He sounded sad. The little girl tugged on Miss Merriweather’s dress. “If he promises to be quiet, can he come back for story hour tomorrow?” she asked. The lion stopped roaring and looked at Miss Merriweather. She looked back and then said, “Yes. A nice, quiet lion would certainly be allowed to come back for story hour tomorrow.” “Hooray!” said the children.
The next day, the lion came back. “You are early,” said Miss Merriweather. “Story hour is not until three o’clock.” The lion did not budge. “Very well,” said Miss Merriweather. “You might as well make yourself useful.” She sent him off to dust the encyclopedias until it was time for story hour.
The next day, the lion came early again. This time, Miss Merriweather asked him to lick all the envelopes for the overdue notices. Soon the lion began doing things without being asked. He dusted the encyclopedias, licked the envelopes, and let small children stand on his back to reach books on the highest shelves. Then he curled up in the story corner to wait for story hour to begin.
At first, the people in the library were nervous about the lion, but soon they got used to having him around. In fact, he seemed very well suited for the library. His big feet were quiet on the library floor. He made a comfy backrest for the children at story hour, and he never roared in the library anymore. “What a helpful lion,” people said, patting his soft head as he walked by. “How did we ever get along without him?”
Mr. McBee scowled when he heard that. They had always gotten along fine before. No lions were needed! Lions, he thought, could not understand the rules. They did not belong in the library.
One day, after he had dusted all the encyclopedias and licked all the envelopes and helped all the small children, the lion padded down the hall to Miss Merriweather’s office to see what else there was to do. There was still some time left before story hour. “Hello, Lion,” said Miss Merriweather. “I know something you can do. You can bring a book back into the stacks for me. Let me just get it down from the shelf.” Miss Merriweather stepped up onto the step stool. The book was just out of reach. She stood on her toes and stretched out her fingers. “Almost… there…” she said. Then Miss Merriweather stretched a little too far. “Ouch,” she said softly. She did not get up. “Mr. McBee!” she called after a minute. “Mr. McBee!” But Mr. McBee was at the circulation desk and could not hear her calling. “Lion,” said Miss Merriweather. “Please go and get Mr. McBee.”
The lion ran down the hall. “No running,” Miss Merriweather called after him. The lion put his big front paws up on the circulation desk and looked at Mr. McBee. “Go away, Lion,” said Mr. McBee. “I’m busy.” The lion whined and pointed his nose down the hall toward Miss Merriweather’s office. Mr. McBee ignored him. Finally, the lion did the only thing he could think of to do. He looked Mr. McBee right in the eye, opened his mouth very wide, and roared the loudest roar he had ever roared in his life. Mr. McBee gasped. “You’re not being quiet!” he said to the lion. “You’re breaking the rules!” Mr. McBee walked down the hall as fast as he could. The lion did not follow him. He had broken the rules. He knew what that meant. He hung his head and walked toward the doors. Mr. McBee did not notice.
“Miss Merriweather!” he called as he walked. “Miss Merriweather! The lion broke the rules! The lion broke the rules!” He burst into Miss Merriweather’s office. She was not in her chair. “Miss Merriweather?” he asked. “Sometimes,” said Miss Merriweather from the floor behind her desk, “there is a good reason to break the rules, even in the library. Now please go call a doctor. I think I’ve broken my arm.” Mr. McBee ran to call a doctor. “No running!” Miss Merriweather called after him.
The next day, things were back to normal. Almost. Miss Merriweather’s left arm was in a cast. The doctor had told her not to work too hard. “I will have my lion to help me,” Miss Merriweather thought. But the lion did not come to the library that morning. At three o’clock, Miss Merriweather walked over to the story corner. The story lady was just beginning a story for the children. The lion was not there. People in the library kept looking up from their books and computer screens, hoping to see a familiar furry face. But the lion did not come that day. The lion did not come the next day, either. Or the day after that.
One evening, Mr. McBee stopped by Miss Merriweather’s office on his way out. “Can I do anything for you before I go, Miss Merriweather?” he asked her. “No, thank you,” said Miss Merriweather. She was looking out the window, and her voice was very quiet, even for the library. Mr. McBee frowned as he walked away. He thought there was probably something he could do for Miss Merriweather, after all.
Mr. McBee left the library, but he did not go home. He walked around the neighborhood, looking under cars, behind bushes, in backyards, trash cans, and tree houses. Finally, he circled all the way back to the library. The lion was sitting outside, looking in through the glass doors. “Hello, Lion,” said Mr. McBee. The lion did not turn around. “I thought you might like to know,” said Mr. McBee, “that there’s a new rule at the library. No roaring allowed unless you have a very good reason—say, if you’re trying to help a friend who’s been hurt, for example.” The lion’s ears twitched. He turned around, but Mr. McBee was already walking away.
The next day, Mr. McBee walked down the hall to Miss Merriweather’s office. “What is it, Mr. McBee?” asked Miss Merriweather in her new, sad, quiet voice. “I thought you might like to know,” said Mr. McBee, “that there’s a lion in the library.” Miss Merriweather jumped up from her chair and ran down the hall. Mr. McBee smiled. “No running!” he called after her. Miss Merriweather didn’t listen. Sometimes there was a good reason to break the rules, even in the library.
I love this book! There are so many other books just like this and other types of stories with different kinds of animals in the library. It’s so easy to just go there and check out a book or read a book in the library, and they even have people who will tell stories, so check that out. Well, hopefully, I’ll see you in the library someday!
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