Leander Lion![](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=httpwwwvintag-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0007E9PCS)
Gary and Vesta Smith
illustrations by Fred Crump, Jr.
Steck-Vaughn, 1966When I first thrifted this book, the drawings immediately made me think of
Don Martin, the famed Mad Magazine cartoonist. Digging a bid deeper, I came to find out the artist was a local Texas boy, children's book author and high school art teacher who made a name for himself toward the end of his career by penning wildly-vibrant fairy tales and princess stories with an African American slant. I have to imagine this was one of his earlier books, as it --and a few others by the same authors-- were published by a small house out of Austin, Texas.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2ggE9o0x21rDCX71RrbvctRhdtmWgXX1P_w4hNkfT5oNB9Uk9DM4dX-7aLbq0h7hDGMirOxO176xOrY9_CvvXOC2dIgoS8Eb87n8S9godxGauI81jr3SfmHNoJo4OIR9uGxDijrgU8Bn/s500/Leander2.jpg)
Meet Leander. A lion with a bit of a hair issue...
Leander, like all lions, was a strong, fierce, ROARING lion. But... he had a little problem... CURLS! Lots of curls! His curly mane made him the joke of the jungle.![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCt6f4YcZhe7cqzHai67gsaEFAI5FiOHG4-bgj6tBumxyVkaFuvcAWd0CinBYmaf5ffMadnJdYigeAt5qd92eaFc7ud9vUdMPoGEOTuXZVE0f_Rc0lXy85YKDMUnsCZg9M1efCvHR8u44/s500/leander4.jpg)
The other lions called him Goldilocks. The giraffes giggled at him. The monkeys tugged at his locks, and even the stinky old rhino had a good laugh at his expense. It isn't until his friend (and hair stylist) Philbert Parrot tries a mud wrap on his head that leaves him soaked and sad, that he steps on some electrical wires, shocks himself silly and falls into the life of a Hollywood movie star. Not a ton of realism here, but the funny peach cartoons make up for it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsW41LIXg4cbgYIcoQfuiPakHQp6HcWTl8ROJKIw6M1h5Iz5VACMo6tk-35i3zG_MxZAoP3KepJV_qne8EqCeo-b86fKuBifFhUOXlLDe4KOx339EI32leFxlccEXYmmJ9WX2KsYbDBy1/s500/leander7.jpg)
I didn't find much online in my search for the illustrator, but I did find a rather
heartfelt blog post by a former student of his. (I am particularly tickled by his description of Mr. Crump's I heart Madonna pin.) All I can say is, no matter what he did in his life professionally, to have someone remember him as fondly as this says a lot about what an awesome guy and teacher he must have been. Makes me hopefully that there are people out their mentoring a new generation of artists at this very moment. Exciting to think about.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4hBIAsu7oZk5hxhCdVs5bmSb_-1_Gzkze0iejezCxSLeq0DiZEGEFf1VbhrOaYpjX8zHTAYpEUccvqpxfLIGt4shsZHLI5z1p1f1HD2Vn_gnsvdz5kP1HU26o7j6ytH4c9jSXLeaUrJQ/s500/leander6.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMI7R7Ony7vL9DNPNxdJrQUs96Pxgt6gzMwtc8mKpLgdgeJBbDMVEA30MSgUUuIQ6hpqFDcwLKZXGLzkNb1huRmgDYc242y1wq0HneW4fon0bZQiWMqSrYORrFhmo0bqzdFN63qjqK-gLf/s600/Leander1.jpg)
(As always, if anyone has the original cover art, hook us up!)
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