Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Andy and the Lion by James Daugherty

This week Kate and I take a trip back in time to 1938. We were trepidatious, and can you blame us? Considering the era and the fact that James Daugherty created the first (and only? unclear) Newbery winner to be completely out-of-print due to shockingly overt racism, we entered into Andy and the Lion tentatively. I remembered it as beloved of New York Public Library. Justifiably? This and other questions haunt us as we dive on in. A fascinating take on a book that has lasted far longer than most of its contemporaries to date.

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Show Notes:

For our episode on They Were Strong and Good (which I reference) just go here.

It’s cute how Kate tried to school me on Patience and Fortitude’s original names. They were renamed by Mayor LaGuardia, people! And can we all agree how weird it was to name a maned lion “Lady Astor” in the first place. Unless, of course, you prefer to believe that they were ahead of their time in that regard.

Here in the Chicago area, one of our neighborhoods is named “Andersonville”. It looks just a little, tiny, itty bitty bit different from the image in this book, though.

Paging (haha) one of our favorite Instagram accounts… @newspapersillustrated:

We’re actually a bit baffled by the fact that this book never depicts a single gun. In 1938 no one would have objected a jot. In a way, this book was ahead of its time. Here, look at this image:

And this:

Wouldn’t there normally be guns there?

Kate and I had two entirely different reactions to this book on Andy’s floor. Kate thought of lion-related influencers. I thought of How to Win Friends and Influence Lions.

I’m hearing the song “Here Comes the Sun” but in a minor key. It’s a SNEAKY sun!

Boy. Just look at the method of showing the action in this scene. Full credit to the Caldecott committee for acknowledging the almost cartoonish nature of showing two characters running left and right and left and right quickly, but in a single illustration.

After this backing and forthing, it sure as heck looks like Andy mucked up his foot in the course of his hijinks.

Hey, remember Scar from The Lion King? See any resemblance here? Or is it just us?

“Cute, gross, and painful.” Folks, a lion licks you outta gratitude? Say goodbye to the skin on that side of your face. That’s all I’m saying.

Clowns for Kate! Clowns clowns clowns for Kate! (she hates ’em)

We place the following question on the table for our readers: Do these crowd scenes indicate that Daugherty was being multicultural (for his time) or is it just too dang unclear?

Knowing what we do about how animals were treated in circuses historically, it almost looks like a statement on the part of Daugherty about that very treatment. This lion looks emaciated. No wonder he ran away.

Kate Recommends: The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix (with the caveat that it has some sexual assault)

Betsy Recommends: Sorry to Bother You, streaming on Netflix

Filed under: Fuse 8 n' Kate