We're Going On A Lion Hunt

Do we have to go?  You know what, I'm going to stay here and watch the paint dry instead.                     

THREE PROS

*Joe Mathieu does an admirable job of illustrating the concept and keeping the characters consistent (although the giraffes relative height to other jungle beasts was a bit off in my estimation) 
*I liked the way the walls of the school and the elephants went from concrete shapes to ethereal concepts as the class enters and exits story time
*If that kid in the red shirt was supposed to be the teacher's son, I totally see the resemblance -- if it's just a coincidence, then there are really only two pros to this book     

THREE CONS 

*Oh, wait, you're giving me the opportunity to echo the same eight phrases a total of six times per instance my child asks me to read the book out loud, and it only is gonna cost me $15 to do it -- thanks  

*Pretty sure most lions would stop chasing their prey at the river's edge

*The kid with the yellow paper hat bothers me for some unknown deep-seated reason

ONE DAD'S OPINION

I reviewed the bear hunt equivalent to this a few months back, so Margery Cuyler was going to really have to step up her game in order to improve upon the weak Borrow rating the bear book got.  That did not happen.  She stuck to the script of the semi-famous children's song almost verbatim, with the only change being a final destination of a school instead of a bed. Whoopteefreakindoo.  It's so repetitive and boring, I actually have to hide my frustration when my son asks me to read it. Moreover, it makes me question my review of We're Going on a Bear Hunt, so I'm going to try and reconcile everything right now.  I have no doubt how much I have hated reading WGOALH this week -- it could be nothing other than a Destroy.  But, that rating (which I am dead set on awarding, by the way) is partially attributable to the fact that I have already read virtually the same book in the past.  So, when we average out this slightly unfair review with my tepid Borrow rating for the bear version, we get a Donate for the overall concept.  Now that feels right, doesn't it?                    

Buy / Borrow / Donate / DESTROY