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A Lion's Mane
Explore human difference with a big question – Do you know who I am?
Join this little human’s quest of self-discovery through the metaphor of a lion’s mane.
The narrative’s rhythm flows alongside the red fabric of a dastaar (turban worn by members of the Sikh community), connecting the character’s identity to cultures from around the world. Mindful words are embroidered into the dastaar. Each page turn invites you to adjust your lens, and discover more about what the lion represents to peoples of the world.
“When we learn something new, it makes each of us stronger.”
Skipping Stones Honor Book Award Winner for Multicultural and International Awareness.
Join this little human’s quest of self-discovery through the metaphor of a lion’s mane.
The narrative’s rhythm flows alongside the red fabric of a dastaar (turban worn by members of the Sikh community), connecting the character’s identity to cultures from around the world. Mindful words are embroidered into the dastaar. Each page turn invites you to adjust your lens, and discover more about what the lion represents to peoples of the world.
“When we learn something new, it makes each of us stronger.”
Skipping Stones Honor Book Award Winner for Multicultural and International Awareness.
- GenresPicture Books
40 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2009
About the author
Navjot Kaur
19 books7 followersNavjot Kaur is the trailblazer behind Saffron Press - a socially conscious, small independent press, creating stories to inspire little citizens of change. She is a daughter of immigrants, sister to five siblings and cisgender Mum. Navjot has been advocating for greater equity and representation of the Sikh identity in children's literature for over a decade, through her books and professional facilitation sessions with school districts and undergraduate students. Throughout her years as a classroom teacher, Navjot strived to explore curriculum through an antibias antiracist lens, especially when amplifying issues of social justice with young persons. She continues that work, now as a publisher and author of three titles, with her first A Lion's Mane winning an Honor Books Award for Multicultural and International Awareness.
Navjot resides with gratitude on the traditional territory of the Mississauga of Scugog Island First Nation, (Whitby, Ontario) with a mighty leader in Equity and their gentle warrior of change.
Navjot resides with gratitude on the traditional territory of the Mississauga of Scugog Island First Nation, (Whitby, Ontario) with a mighty leader in Equity and their gentle warrior of change.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 22, 2017
Many thanks to the Kid Lit Exchange network and the publisher Saffron Press for access to a free review copy of this text. All opinions are my own.
This is a great text to introduce children to Sikh customs and culture. The author’s approach of telling how the lion appears as a symbol in cultures across the world and tying it back to Sikh culture really worked out well. Kids will connect to the different representations and stories. Living and teaching in a diverse community where children have friends from many different cultures and backgrounds, this book is exactly what we look for in our classrooms and school libraries. It provides a great window into Sikh culture, which is rarely represented in children's literature despite the fact that there are 25 million Sikhs worldwide. Acknowledging and celebrating our differences should be one of the most important goals in elementary school today, and this book is a great addition to a repertoire of diverse books!
This is a great text to introduce children to Sikh customs and culture. The author’s approach of telling how the lion appears as a symbol in cultures across the world and tying it back to Sikh culture really worked out well. Kids will connect to the different representations and stories. Living and teaching in a diverse community where children have friends from many different cultures and backgrounds, this book is exactly what we look for in our classrooms and school libraries. It provides a great window into Sikh culture, which is rarely represented in children's literature despite the fact that there are 25 million Sikhs worldwide. Acknowledging and celebrating our differences should be one of the most important goals in elementary school today, and this book is a great addition to a repertoire of diverse books!
June 25, 2021
A rich picture book that travels the world to show the connections between the main character's "lion's mane" to others as it connects their flowing, red dastaar ("the fabric tied into a turban") to lions in many different cultures. A truly inventive concept and a story that is illuminating, uniting, kind, and inspiring.
"It takes wisdom to use our words and explain who we are. When we learn something new, it makes each of us stronger."
"It takes wisdom to use our words and explain who we are. When we learn something new, it makes each of us stronger."
August 22, 2017
A beautiful story of diversity and Sikh culture.
Thanks to Saffron Press for providing @kidlitexchange with a copy of this book for review purposes.
This story takes the Sikh dastaar, which covers a boy's "lion's mane" and uses it to share the importance of the lion to many different world cultures. The book celebrates diversity and also shares words from many different languages, with pronunciation and meanings included in a glossary at the end of the book. The illustrations are beautiful and do a wonderful job of representing all of the cultures mentioned. Throughout the book words such as respect, patience, generosity and teamwork are highlighted and included in the stories of the different cultures.
Highly recommended as a book for picture book collections.
Thanks to Saffron Press for providing @kidlitexchange with a copy of this book for review purposes.
This story takes the Sikh dastaar, which covers a boy's "lion's mane" and uses it to share the importance of the lion to many different world cultures. The book celebrates diversity and also shares words from many different languages, with pronunciation and meanings included in a glossary at the end of the book. The illustrations are beautiful and do a wonderful job of representing all of the cultures mentioned. Throughout the book words such as respect, patience, generosity and teamwork are highlighted and included in the stories of the different cultures.
Highly recommended as a book for picture book collections.
October 28, 2017
I received this picture book from @kidlitexchange to read in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 A Lion's Mane by Navjot Kaur pulls cultures together by using a common thread, we are all different but also alike. This picture book introduces a new vocabulary and glossary skills to young readers. A way to introduce new cultures to others based on respect and cultural difference. Review also posted on Instagram @jasonnstacie, Library Thing, and my blog at readsbystacie.com.
October 2, 2017
Navjot Kaur has created quite the educational and color adventure for children in this book. It's refreshing and brings the topic of being unique to the table and we all need to be talking to our children at a young age that being different is special This book will help children understand positive self-image and how to find the things about themselves and others that make them special and that different isn't a negative word. A powerful message coupled with extraordinary illustrations make this book a must read for both young readers and adults.
Thank you for the opportunity to review, Navjot Kaur! I received as part of the #kidlitexchange, all opinions are my own.
Thank you for the opportunity to review, Navjot Kaur! I received as part of the #kidlitexchange, all opinions are my own.
September 1, 2017
Thanks to Saffron Press for providing @kidlitexchange with a copy of this book for review purposes.
Several years ago a little boy entered a second grade class. He was a real leader in his class, with a great sense of humor and full of curiosity. His classmates flocked to the “new boy”, even though he was very different, because he wore a “lion’s mane”. He visited the library every day, and although he was a great reader, I always felt at a loss, because I wasn’t able to offer him a book that was a mirror. Although, he happily read any middle grade book he could find, he wasn’t seeing himself. These are the books I wish I had had. A Lion’s Mane would have been a wonderful read aloud to help his new classmates learn more about his culture and background. I can just imagine the classroom discussion that would have erupted! The kids would have had so many questions and he would have loved answering them! I especially appreciated the glossary and pronunciation guide at the end of the book.
Several years ago a little boy entered a second grade class. He was a real leader in his class, with a great sense of humor and full of curiosity. His classmates flocked to the “new boy”, even though he was very different, because he wore a “lion’s mane”. He visited the library every day, and although he was a great reader, I always felt at a loss, because I wasn’t able to offer him a book that was a mirror. Although, he happily read any middle grade book he could find, he wasn’t seeing himself. These are the books I wish I had had. A Lion’s Mane would have been a wonderful read aloud to help his new classmates learn more about his culture and background. I can just imagine the classroom discussion that would have erupted! The kids would have had so many questions and he would have loved answering them! I especially appreciated the glossary and pronunciation guide at the end of the book.
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December 27, 2016I really liked the idea of this book, but didn't love the execution.
The narrator, a Sikh boy, refers to his hair as a lion's mane and shares the meaning and symbolism of lions in various languages and cultures, bringing it back to various elements of the Sikh faith. Putting the words on his dastaar (a red turban which winds through all the illustrations) is a neat idea, but I often saw the words on the dastaar before I saw the rest of the text on the page, which was disruptive to the flow.
There was also a lot of vocabulary -- which is all helpfully defined (complete with a pronunciation guide) at the end of the book, but so much flipping back and forth would be disruptive in reading with a small child, but if the adult reader isn't Sikh themselves they're unlikely to be able to memorize it all in advance to be able to explain to a child as they read. (Apparently I am a fan of footnotes over endnotes in kids' books as I am in adult books.)
The narrator, a Sikh boy, refers to his hair as a lion's mane and shares the meaning and symbolism of lions in various languages and cultures, bringing it back to various elements of the Sikh faith. Putting the words on his dastaar (a red turban which winds through all the illustrations) is a neat idea, but I often saw the words on the dastaar before I saw the rest of the text on the page, which was disruptive to the flow.
There was also a lot of vocabulary -- which is all helpfully defined (complete with a pronunciation guide) at the end of the book, but so much flipping back and forth would be disruptive in reading with a small child, but if the adult reader isn't Sikh themselves they're unlikely to be able to memorize it all in advance to be able to explain to a child as they read. (Apparently I am a fan of footnotes over endnotes in kids' books as I am in adult books.)
July 27, 2010
Beautiful illustrations and amazing message about diversity.
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October 2, 2023The reader gains power through the book's cultural understanding. It serves as a gentle reminder that being unique is perfectly acceptable, even if it means being the only student in the class to have a turban on. A Lion's Mane is a great, profound picture book, and it's yet another that has captured my heart. I am positive that kids would pick it up and read it repeatedly. For second graders, this is a fantastic read aloud. This is one of my favorite types of books because it introduces students to new concepts. I believe it is crucial to have students discuss their knowledge of culture before reading this book.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews