Lonesome Leo, the Little Lion is a tale about tolerance. It is also a lesson in cooperation that started out as a class assignment and turned into children's literature.
The project began as an extra credit assignment that United Association of Conejo Teachers (UACT) member Bill Csellak gave to his Westlake High School student, Debi Simpson. He told her to write a story about a lion and an owl. Debi, a 16-year-old junior, collaborated with her mother, Diane Simpson, and the finished product was so good that Csellak decided to publish it himself. Csellak's high school-age nephew, Erik Abel, illustrated the book.
The story is about a baby lion trying to make friends with the other jungle animals who are afraid of him. A wise owl intercedes, and eventually Leo is invited to play with the other animals. The message of the book, in the words of Debi Simpson, is "Don't be afraid of something you don't know about."
UACT has bought copies of the book to give to each elementary teacher in honor of the Day of the Teacher. Csellak has been hawking the publication at book fairs. Meanwhile, mother and daughter are working on a sequel.
The book costs $8 and is available from Bill Csellak, 3014 Cottonwood Ct., Newbury Park, CA 91320. Quantities of 21 to 50 books cost $7.50 per copy, and 51 or more can be purchased for $7 per copy.
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