Is a lion still a lion if he wears a hat? With whimsical illustrations and a nod to earlier classics, Polly Dunbar celebrates the shrewd mind of a child — and the power of saying no.

Is a lion still a lion . . . if he skips down the street singing “Hoobie-doobie-doo"?

Dapper in his hat and flourishing a cane, a very large lion invites himself inside, inquires about Auntie Sue, and spins the two children of the house around the room in a silly dance. He doesn’t mind at all if they invite him to lunch, where he gobbles up all his greens and devours the plate, too. When he leans in to ask for dessert, his sharp teeth gleam oh so pearly white, and it seems very possible that he may just bite. . . . Surely it’s time to go-go-go — until, that is, the brave little girl finds her voice in a most satisfying way. The Cat in the Hat meets Pierre meets The Tiger Who Came to Tea in this rollicking story with an exhilarating ending.