During World War II, Renato is forced to leave Florence and he wonders who will keep his favorite stone lion safe? This is a beautifully illustrated book about the horrors of war and the salience of art. Includes Author’s Note.

I was surprised by how touched I felt by this book. It’s a lovely book. 4-1/2 stars

The illustrations are glorious. They’re splendid.

I knew about the NYC part of the book but that part is small. This book is mostly about Florence, Italy. And it definitely made me long to visit the city and see all of its art, art in museums and public art.

The story comes full circle and poignant and emotionally affecting, at least it was for me.

I was sort of surprised that the grandfather hadn’t seemed to know or make particular note of the lion sculptures in front of the main branch of the NY Public Library. I’d think he’d have known about them and would have been drawn to them long before his visit with his granddaughter. They’ve always been famous.

Great book for those looking for grandparent-grandchildren relationships, books about art and art history, books about Italy and Florence, books about war refugees, books about imaginative play, for fans of sculptures and/or lions and/or art museums.

I appreciated the author’s note in the back that explains that while the book is fiction she has included facts and made nods to people and places and things that really happened. ( )

This book tells a story about a boy and his fater protected the sculptures during the war in Italy. It is a story combined with some historical facts. I think the story mentioned many issues, such as, reserve culture, war experience, immigrants, and lost, but it does not get deeper into each topic. However, it does not affect the fluency and beauty of the story. The most intersting plot for me is that when the boy falls asleep, the stone lion takes him through different landscapes of Italy. And when they boy turns into a grandpa, he brought his granddaughter back, they took a tour in those landscapes, too. I think this book encourages children to appreciate artworks. ( )

A moving picture book book about the power of art and sacrifice in troubled times. Renato lives in Florence, Italy with his family where his father cares for sculptures in a museum. With the arrival of war (WWII) his family is forced to make the difficult decision to leave and go to America.

This is a beautifully balanced book with much of the story taking place before Renato's departure to America. He travels in his dreams and in life, protected by the powerful sculpture and dreamy watercolor illustrations by DiLorenzo aid in transporting the reader to the sunlight and wonder of a magical encounter. It is a special relationship between the boy and the lion and we see his suffering having to leave something that has meant so much to him.

His father goes to great lengths to protect the lion and the other cultural treasures, offering clues to the many steps people take in war to protect what is meaningful. Years later we see Renato with his granddaughter approaching the familiar lions of the NYPL. The fascination with the stone lions and the refuge that they offer is a pleasing dream while the generational interplay is wonderful.

It could be a dreamy beautiful illustration read with sun-drenched streets, and adventurous moonlight bringing statues to life, or it could be a broader discussion about what is meaningful. What do we save and what do we leave behind? ( )

this beautiful story is about a boy named Renato. He lives in Florence with his father who is a sculptor repairer in a museum. Renato's favorite statue is the lion in Piazza della Signora. one day he finds out they are moving immediately to America because of the war. years later, Renato and the lion reunite again when he takes his granddaughter to Italy to see all the sculptures his father saved by building brick walls around them.
The story is beautifully written and illustrated with watercolors and landscapes that look so warm and alive. the friendship of Renato and the lion is like if the lion really was alive and a friend of him, and it was so sweet seeing them together in the last page. ( )