Size is just a matter of perspective in this charming story about a little lion who is much, much smaller than the rest. The other animals laugh at him and tell him that real lions are so very big, they can touch the moon with a paw. When a friendly raven discovers the little lion atop a hill, sadly gazing at the moon, the wise bird tells him that to touch the moon, he must reach for it. The next night, Raven brings all the animals to the base of the hill, where at the tippy-top, Little Lion stretches his paw as far as he can. From where the animals are standing, it is clear: Little Lion can touch the moon . . . and no one ever doubts him again. PreS-Gr 2—In this German import, a lion is relentlessly mocked for his small stature. A crocodile, leopard, and hippopotamus laugh, stick out their tongues, and question his identity with disparaging comments such as, "You are too small to be a lion." The constant jeers shake the cub's self-confidence, making him feel "teeny-weeny." Müller's evocative digital illustrations show the forlorn lion sitting in the hippo's gigantic shadow, looking and feeling even smaller. While gazing at the night sky, the little lion recognizes the impossibility of ever being big enough to touch the moon. A wise raven offers words of encouragement ("You must reach for it") and a clever plan. The next evening, the lion stands on tiptoe and stretches his paw as far as it can reach. From the perspective of the amazed animals gathered at the base of the hill, the lion succeeds in touching the moon. Readers will cheer at the lion's triumph and his unpretentious, classy grand exit: "The little lion shook his little lion's mane, roared a great little lion's roar, and walked away smiling." VERDICT With its empowering message, this picture book will spark discussions on bullying and self-esteem issues. An effective read-aloud for group sharing.—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ont. "With its empowering message, this picture book will spark discussions on bullying and self-esteem issues. An effective read-aloud for group sharing." —School Library Journal   "Charming." — Kirkus Reviews Hildegard Müller works as a graphic designer, illustrator, and author and lives in Germany. Her book The Cowboy won the most prestigious award for children's books in Germany, the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis. In a starred review Kirkus noted, "It's rare to find a real story in a book that brand-new readers can tackle alone--Anna and Toto and the cowboy certainly deliver."