Dume's Roar

With a nod to African animal fables, this original tale by the creators of The King and the Tortoise explores the interdependence of leaders and their subjects. After Kobe--the slow, lazy tortoise--makes a bid for king of the forest (""We need a wise and good king,"" he says), Dume--a lion with a formidable roar--outshouts him and assumes the throne instead. The lion soon exhausts his subjects with constant demands for his personal comfort. When crows warn of approaching hunters, Kobe uses his wit to elicit from the self- absorbed lion his biggest roar ever--booming enough to send the hunters sprinting in retreat. The ferocious feline's temporary loss of voice offers humorous opportunities for reading aloud, and Roman's playful, sketchy illustrations, surrounded by abundant white space, provide a lighthearted context for the proceedings. However, the denouement is missing--readers never see Dume's transformation to a genuine leader--and Kobe's powerful influence goes unacknowledged. Consequently, the true meaning of leadership and the moral of the story are left in doubt. Ages 3-up. (Feb.)