Charlies the Lion Dog

The almost real-life story about a little boy who always wanted a lion for a pet. Wondrously written and spectacularly illustrated, this captivating picture book mixes childhood fantasy with the TRUE tale of a labradoodle named Charles, who became an international sensation when he was mistaken for an actual lion wandering the streets of Norfolk, Virginia. His playful owner had groomed the very furry pooch to leave a longer "mane" and a tufted tail resulting in the uncanny resemblance to a lion. When Charles took an unaccompanied stroll one morning along streets near the city zoo, several Norfolk residents couldn't believe their eyes and quickly dialed 911 to report an escaped lion. Police sorted out this most peculiar case of mistaken identity and everyone had a good laugh. Then the local paper saw the police report and ran a story. That was picked up by the local TV news, which was picked up by the national media, which went viral on social media - and suddenly Charles was a star!