Order The Lion Tattoo,
Read a wonderful review of The Lion Tattoo by Outside in World:
One day a young man decides he wants a lion tattoo on his shoulder. He goes into a tattoo studio full of bravado – that is until the tattooist begins her work and he feels the pain of the needle! The man decides that his lion doesn’t need a tail or a mane or even a stomach after all, so anxious is he to avoid the pain. Eventually he is thrown out by the tattooist with the caustic comment “Brother, you just can’t stand the pain.”
The Lion Tattoo, a tale from Masnavi by Rumi, a thirteenth century poet, philosopher and Sufi mystic, is a hilarious picture book for older readers.
With its small, square, cloth-covered format, this unusual graphic-style picture book has delightfully witty cartoon-like illustrations by Iranian artist Atefeh Maleki Joo. The clever touches of detail such as the depiction of an angry lion depleted of its mane and tail or the images of the young man in pain match the wit of Rumi’s tale so brilliantly.
Despite being written centuries ago this is in many ways this is a very modern tale.
- Watch this book trailer
- Read this blog: Rumi’s stories survive the test of centuries!
- Read this review by Books for Keeps: a welcome fable from Rumi
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