I would say it is for fourth graders. Ages eight and nine years old. Great theme and lesson for all young ages. ( )

Adorable story about a little boy who, with the help of his trusty stuffed lion, finds the courage to face his fears. The illustrations are very well done. Having a little boy who frequently dreams about monsters, this was a great book to share with him. ( )

What a sweet book! Richard and his stuffed lion (named Lionheart) hear a scary noise and, assuming it's something terrible, take off so that it can't get them. Richard heads into the woods and finds himself in a magical jungle. He loses his stuffed animal somewhere (which made me sad) but then it shows up as a giant, magical lion! Lionheart n helps him be brave in the face of danger. It's a great, reassuring message.

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. They're colorful and vivid and really capture every mood perfectly. My favorite part, however, was the very last page where Richard is back in his room. It's a lovely illustration on its own, but there are a few Easter eggs that made me smile--he has stuffed animals of Oscar the Grouch and Totoro! ( )