Ezra and the Lion Cub by Wili Liberman

Ezra and the Lion Cub tells the story of a poor shoeshine boy in Gondar, Ethiopia. In his dreams, Ezra sees himself as the king of the forest. In his dream world, Ezra is not poor, doesn't have to worry about going to school or think about shining shoes. He encounters a precocious lion cub and they become friends. The lion cub's mother is not so pleased with the cub's association with a human--one that can only lead to trouble. When a group of hunters come on the scene, disaster quickly follows and Ezra learns a valuable but painful lesson. Ezra and the Lion Cub is part of a large educational project designed for the 21st Century middle school learner. The project provides learning and teaching tools and resources to students and teachers connecting to themes like Global Citizenship, Human Rights, Democracy and Access to Basic Education. For more information, please see www.theshadowedroad.com.