Lion Scream by Robbie Cheadle is not a poetry collection or an expository nonfiction book about African animals. It’s not a memoir of personal encounters with wild animals or a picture book of animal photography and video links. The book is not a cautionary tale about the harm that humans are doing to our world’s animal populations. At least, it’s not just any one of the above—Lion Scream is all of these at once and is the most important book I’ve read this year.
By writing this book as an interactive casebook, alternating various approaches to the subject of wild animals and mass extinction, Cheadle grabs and holds the reader’s attention. She structures the book by the multitude of animals found in South Africa, from dung beetles to hippos. Within each short section are various brief approaches to the subject. Sometimes a poem that might be written “in character” as an individual animal introduces the topic and is followed by a knowledgeable description of the animal, its habitat, and some unique features.
In this way, I learned so much that I did not know. For instance, cheetahs are the fastest land animals in the world, but there are only 7,000 of them left in the wild! And a real dilemma is that they are in great danger in protected lands because they are prey to lions and other animals. Still, in unprotected land, they are under threat from the most dangerous, worst animals on the planet—humans. Likewise, I learned that wild dogs are very endangered animals. Cheadle says leopards are already “extinct in 67% of the country.” The information includes details such as that female hyenas have a penis-like appendage, and sometimes their babies suffocate in the birth canal. In addition, the female and infant hyenas eat before the males.
ROBBIE’S AMAZING WILDLIFE VIDEOS
Underlying the book is a premise that makes this such an important book: we live in a time of the Sixth Mass Extinction. A mass extinction is when a large portion of biodiversity dies out. Natural events have caused previous extinctions, but the Sixth Mass Extinction is caused by human activity. If we think of what is happening with so many species endangered or becoming extinct in this long-view lens, we can see that this is a huge subject and one that we all have a hand in. If we are causing it, we ought to be able to fix it. The time to change this trend toward extinction is yesterday, but since we’ve already gone past that, it’s NOW.
Cheadle concludes the book with a short story, “The Nutcracker,” about a girl with extreme anxiety and depression over the Sixth Mass Extinction. The story is well-told and thoughtful. But Cheadle’s analysis of the story that comes afterward is particularly fascinating as both a push to the reader to read deeply into the story and as a summary of the importance of the book itself.
I am so glad I read this book, and now I want to make some changes in my life!
You can purchase Lion Scream at Amazon in either paperback or Kindle version. Note that there are photographs and links to videos in the book. I hope that will help you decide which version to go with. Here is the link: LION SCREAM AT AMAZON
I discovered Robbie because I started participating in Colleen Chesebro’s #TankaTuesday syllabic poetry fun, and I am amazed at all Robbie’s talents. In addition to being a prolific writer and baker/cook, she is a beautiful artist as well. Robbie is also a generous spirit to the blogging and writing community. That she also has published this important ecobook in an effort to help save the planet really warms my heart. Thank you, Robbie!
ROBBIE CHEADLE’S BIO
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published thirteen children’s book and two poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
The ten Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews.
Follow Robbie Cheadle
Robbie Cheadle Amazon Author Page
Robbie Cheadle Goodreads Author Page
TSL Publications Robbie Cheadle Author Page
Wow!! This book – and this writer – sound amazing!!
Thank you so much for the introduction to her work.
Thank you, Sheila. Luanne has written a wonderful review.
You are welcome! Thanks, Sheila.
A lovely, thoughtful review of Robbie’s book and work, Luanne.
Thank you, Merril. It is an extraordinary review, just like Luanne’s poetry.
She writes wonderful reviews!
Thank you, Merril! It’s a special book.
You’re welcome, Luanne.
Such a sound review, Luanne
I am quite bowled over by this review, Derrick
Thank you, Derrick!
Thank you for sharing this wake-up call. You’re both doing good work all around.
Thank you, Amie, Luanne’s analysis is detailed and heart warming for me.
Thanks, Amie! What an important subject she tackled!
Robbie has penned a most thought-provoking book, indeed.
Thank you, Annette. I am so grateful for this lovely review.
Annette, she definitely has!
Wow! You have really excited my interest in this book! Thanks for reviewing it!
I am delighted by Luanne’s wonderful review.
You are welcome!!!
Thank you, Luanne, for this detailed and wonderful review. Your understanding of this book and embracing of its messages fills me with hope and joy.
Thank you for writing the book, Robbie!
Hi – it’s great to see Robbie’s book featured here. I enjoy her poetry and her animal videos are definitely amazing. Congratulations, Robbie!
This book really needed to be written!
Thank you, Barbara. Luanne has written an amazing review 😊
Congratulations to Robbie on Luanne’s thoughtful and perceptive review! I agree that Lion Scream is an important book that needs to be not only widely read but widely discussed.
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s very scary to think of losing these animals. I can only think of one animal that I wouldn’t mind losing (mostly kidding, and I mean humans).
It is scary. I wouldn’t cry any bitter tears if the gun lobby and the politicians who kowtow to it became extinct.
Guns would be a great first start.
It certainly would, the sooner the better.
Hi Liz, thank you. I am so delighted that readers are appreciating the message in this book and sharing their thoughts. It is heart warming to know so many people care 💖
You’re welcome, Robbie.
I’m so glad you’ve found a writer and work that was able to teach so much about the perils facing our planet and all its inhabitants. I will check out her work. It’s something I would like to venture into given my environmental biology background.
This whole thing about the Sixth Mass Extinction is new to me, and it’s very scary to think of it in the “large” like that.
Well, I do tend to take a geologic view. Our lifespans are too short to really grasp that the world will continue to achieve stasis. Once Homo sapiens have gone extinct, all new species will arise to populate the globe. It’s distressing in the short term, but it is not as much outright killing (except perhaps big game in Africa) as it is a lack of reproduction causing population declines.
I wish we would get human reproduction decline pretty soon!
It does seem to be happening in most parts of the world!
Not in Africa, sadly. People have big families all of whom currently are destined to join the cycle of poverty.
Not in the American Southwest either.
Yes, things have a ways to go there. Patriarchal societies have a way of perpetuating these cycles.
I agree that the lifespans of humans are short. That is a big part of our short sightedness problem. It is true that if we wipe everything out and then ourselves as a consequence, the earth will start anew. That is a great truth. Thanks again.
Hi Eilene, thank you for your comment. The more writers that share this message the better. We are close to the point of no return with some species.
Thank you for introducing me to Robbie and her important work, Luanne! I’ve seen her name on many blog sites we follow together and will definitely explore her site…
Congratulations Robbie for writing such an important book. Thank you Luanne for your elegant review. You have made me curious, Luanne, when you mentioned that reading the book makes you want to make changes in your life. That is certainly a powerful endorsement for the book! <3
This book makes a powerful statement!
Hi Carol, thank you for your lovely comment. The hope that this book would impact readers and create more awareness was the exact reason I wrote it. Luanne’s review is heart warming.
Sounds amazing!
Such an important subject, too!
Pingback: Robbie’s Inspiration – Tanka Tuesday, a poem on MasticadoresUSA and two reviews of Lion Scream #TankaTuesday #reviews #poetry – Robbie's inspiration
This is an amazing review, Luanne. A big congratulations to Robbie! I will check it out for sure. Bravo! 🎉🎊🎉
Thank you, Gwen! So glad I read Robbie’s book!
Hi Gwen, I am delighted by Luanne’s wonderful review.
Luanne, thank you for sharing your exceptional all-encompassing review! This looks to be a unique book and wow, I feel I’ve already learnt so much and it’s wonderful that Robbie’s passion and interest for the natural world are captured in this book.
Yes, I learned so much from the book! Thank you, Annika!
Hi Annika, thank you for visiting me here. Luanne’s review is wonderful and captures the spirit of this book.
Robbie is an accomplished writer
She sure is!
Thank you, Jack.