How To Hide A Lion Parade- a little girl rides on a lion, nostalgic mid century feel illustration by Helen Stephens
How To Hide a Lion Illustrations from the book by Helen Stephens. Nostalgic Golden Books, quirky ink line, watercolour
How To Hide A Lion Sketches. A pile of sketchbooks belonging to an illustrator with a dummy picture book by Helen Stephens on the top.

One day my phone rang, and a voice said,

‘Hello, this is Judith Kerr and I am calling to say congratulations on How to Hide a Lion.’

She’d seen my lion reading ‘ The Tiger Who Came to Tea’.
Can you spot it?

How To Hide a Lion Reading The Tiger Who Came To Tea. The illustration has a nostalgic, Quentin Blake style.

A bit about how I got the idea for
How to Hide a Lion:

A picture book illustration of a street at night by Helen stephens. The street is in darkness, it is based on a street in Northumberland, drawn in crayon, watercolour and ink

The idea for How to Hide a Lion started when I moved from London to the windy Northumberland coast. The buildings here are all made of beautiful grey stone, and we have these silver mists that roll in off the sea.

One day, while washing up, an image appeared in my head, of a bright yellow lion arriving into a silvery grey town. I liked the idea of yellow and the grey together, ping! Two nice colours and a vague story idea, I was off. What would it be like if a lion walked into town, why would he walk into town? The idea started there…

Reviews & Awards

  • How TO Hide A Lion Hug

    “Using a nostalgic style and subdued palette reminiscent of mid century Little Golden Books masters like Richard Scarry.”

    NEW YORK TIMES

  • Winner of the Prix Liverentéte, the Oldham Picture Book Award and the Rotherham Picture Book Award.

  • How to hide a lion parade

    "Funny and warm-hearted."

    AXEL SCHEFFLER
    Illustrator of the Gruffalo

  • How to hide a lion reading

    The Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians featured it in their list of stories which have been tried, tested and loved by children.

  • How to hide a lion behind the sofa

    Nominated for the Greenaway Medal, the UKLA Awards, the Red House Children’s Book Awards and the Stockport Children’s Book Award.

  • How to hide a lion holding book

    “How to Hide a Lion: An international best-selling modern classic.”

    AMAZON

How to Hide a Lion was adapted for stage by Peter Glanville at the Polka Theatre, with music by Barb Jungr.

Photo theatre stage show How to Hide a Lion by Helen Stephens
Photo theatre stage show How to Hide a Lion by Helen Stephens
Photo theatre stage show How to Hide a Lion by Helen Stephens
Photo theatre stage show How to Hide a Lion by Helen Stephens
Photo theatre stage show How to Hide a Lion by Helen Stephens

Times Book of the Year 2018

‘Move over, reindeer, a new cat’s coming to Christmas.’ Kirkus

How To Hide A Lion At Christmas

Illustration of a lion in the snow by Helen stephens
Two illustrations by Helen stephens of how to hide a lion picture book
Photo of a pile of sketchbooks Helen stephens

“My favourite book is How to Hide a Lion because you make books less boring. You put exclamation marks in and by the way you are the best author in the world. I’m six, I forgot to say that. Oh well.”

MAYA, AGE 6

Also in the How To Hide A Lion series…

  • How To Hide A Lion From Grandma

    How To Hide A Lion From Grandma

  • How To Hide A Lion At School

    How To Hide A Lion At School

  • How to Hide a Lion at Christmas cover

    How to Hide a Lion at Christmas

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Illustrator’s sketchbooks