If I Were a Lion (And Other Wild Wonderings)
Who doesn’t love receiving gifts in the good old-fashioned mail?
A few days ago, I was startled by a dramatic buzz of the doorbell:
“Canada Post! I have a package for Georgia Brown!”
With Georgia in one arm, I rushed down the stairs—curious and excited. What arrived was a true box of treasures: two beautiful picture books and a soft green Peppa snuggly rabbit—the kind filled with wool and designed to gather smells, memories, and miles. It was perfect.
Georgia laid beside me on the couch, her Peppa nestled close, as I flipped through the pages of our new books.
So this post is for the other Browns—our dear friends Corey, Colleen, Simon, and Mia, who sent this thoughtful gift from their home in the Similkameen Valley.
Through the Coastal Mountains they traveled, and in a beautiful, quiet valley they settled. Their life is full of vibrant, everyday magic—healthy chickens in the yard, kids with endless energy, and gentle parenting that inspires me deeply.
Simon charmed me from the first moment I met him—his adventurous spirit and warm smile are hard to forget. And Mia... she’s one of a kind. One of my kind. Tough and spirited, but oh so sweet. She loves the color pink and knows how to handle mean roosters.
We don’t get to see them as often as I’d like, but I catch glimpses of their lives through stories, photos, and the occasional wave when I spot their blue Toyota in town. Their home is full of care, creativity, and kindness—a place where imagination runs just as wild as the backyard chickens.
Now, let’s talk about this book—because it’s one of my all-time favorites.
If I Were a Lion (For my U.S. readers, visit this link) begins with a fiery-haired little girl sitting in the dreaded time-out chair. Her mother says,
“You try my patience, child! I do not like it when you're wild.”
But this girl? She has something to say.
The next pages take us deep into her imagination. She begins to describe just how wild she could really be—if she were a lion, or a coyote, or an orca whale splashing through the kitchen sink. With each spread, she brings chaos to her house through fantasy.
There are wild animals rummaging through trash, sea creatures flopping across the tiles, and howling coyotes under the moonlight. It's vibrant, textured, and completely alive—just like a child’s mind.
What I love most is the cleverness of it all: this girl knows she’s made a mistake, but she also knows she’s not truly wild. She’s just human. Learning. Testing. Growing.
And that’s what the book gets so right: Kids are creative. Kids are impulsive. Kids know when they’ve pushed too far—and they also know how to apologize. We make messes. We drive our parents to the edge. But we also learn how to make it right.
Until one day, we find ourselves on the other side of that time-out chair—watching our own little wild child blink up at us, full of imagination, mischief, and love.
Book: If I Were a Lion
Words by: Sarah Weeks
Pictures by: Heather M. Solomon
Published: 2006, Atheneum Books for Young Readers
What it’s about: Being wild… or not. Learning to say sorry.
Themes: Imagination, Emotional Expression, Wild Behavior, Apologies
Recommended Ages: Great for 3–7
Canada Link
U.S. Link
