Lion
A wordless animated short for children aged 4 to 9 about a lazy lion who trains hard to race his friend, the fast gazelle.
Start with a 7-day free trial.
What is Lion about?
Lion is a wordless animated short for children aged 4 to 9 about a lion who wants to beat his friend, the gazelle, in a race, even though the gazelle does not think he can.
At the start, the lion is lounging on a pink sofa. When he tries to run with the gazelle, he soon runs out of breath and ends up flat on the ground, while the gazelle watches. So the lion gets to work. He lifts weights, stretches, puts on a green vest and a sweatband, and trains and trains.
Then comes the race. The lion and the gazelle run side by side across the screen, and the gazelle, who was so sure of himself, gets a surprise. At the end, the two friends stand together and share a drink.
The film is told only in pictures, with no speech, in bright, flat colours and simple shapes that young children can follow easily. It is short, about 4 minutes.
It is a good starting point for talking with children about effort and practice. Being good at something rarely happens at once: it takes patience and work, day after day. It also shows two friends who stay friends through a contest, whoever is faster.
Parents can add the Islamic side: our bodies and our strength are gifts from Allah, and working hard to look after them, and to get better at things, is a good way to use them.
What your child will learn
- Getting better at something takes practice and patience.
- We should not give up when something is hard at first.
- Friends can compete and still stay friends.
- Our bodies are a gift from Allah, and keeping them strong is a way to look after that gift.
Talk about it afterwards
- What happened the first time the lion tried to run?
- What did the lion do to get faster?
- How do you think the gazelle felt during the race?
- What is something you had to practise a lot to get good at?
Frequently asked questions
What age is Lion suitable for?
Children aged 4 to 9. It has no words and uses simple, bright pictures, so even young children can follow it.
Does Lion have any words?
No. It tells its story in pictures, with no speech.
How long is Lion?
About 4 minutes.
