Title: Budaniel and Simba the Toy Lion
Author: Susan Kapanke
Publisher: Westwood Books Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 978-1-64361-269-0
Pages: 34
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book
Reviewed by: Beth Adams
Pacific Book Review
Nathaniel is a little boy going on a trip to visit his grandparent’s house and also see his cousins. He brings with him his favorite toy, Simba, a stuffed Lion. Upon arriving at their destination, Brooke and Beau were there, as Beau calls Nathaniel “Budaniel.”
So, the day goes by and Budaniel goes to bed with his stuffed doll Simba by his side. Sometime during the night or early morning, Nathaniel awakes and notices Simba is missing! This causes him to whimper, and he decides to crawl up in bed with mommy and daddy.
The next day, with Simba still missing, Nathaniel is introduced to Max, a cat, who was hiding the day before, spooked by all the noise and activity. Nathaniel plays with Max and enjoys his new friend very much. Then Nathaniel is given another stuffed toy, this time of a cat, of which he names the toy “Max,” after the real cat. Then Simba is found under the bed, and now Budaniel has both Max and Simba. The book ends with an illustration of Budaniel in his car-seat going home with now two stuffed animals. Yes, a happy ending indeed.
This soft story, based on a true occurrence, is just the right type of simplicity for the youngest of children to enjoy, as their world no doubt has stuffed toys, grandparents, cousins, and family members all enabling them to relate too. The illustrations have a gentle coloration and penciling technique, offering a consistency in style and story-boarding of the significant moments of the storyline to be enjoyed by those being read this story. The paging moves swiftly, with a minimum of words and an abundance of full-page drawings.
Author Susan Kapanke has added biographical information about her family, the real names of the characters, and a few photographs. Also she asks 3 questions at the end of the book to spur a dialogue between the parent and child.
Budaniel and Simba the Toy Lion is the classic bedtime book for children to be read, enabling them to be casted-off into dreamland, while hopefully holding their own favorite stuffed animal in their bed. Aside from showing the theme of family love, this book also teaches children to look under their bed if they lose something!
