Lion Lights: My Invention That Made Peace with Lions

In Kenya’s moonlit Maasai grasslands, twelve-year-old Richard Turere stared down the glowing eyes of prowling lions, knowing one slip could cost his family every cow that defined their livelihood—Economic Justice balanced on a spear’s edge. Winner of the 2023 Children’s Africana Book Award and hailed by science teachers worldwide, Lion Lights shows how this tinkerer transformed danger into dazzling opportunity: with ten salvaged dollars, spare flashlight bulbs, and wire stripped from an old radio, Richard ringed the thorny boma in rhythmic blinks that fooled predators into thinking humans kept watch. The invention worked; lions retreated, cattle thrived, and a humble idea leapt from a Kenyan village to ranches across Africa, Asia, and South America, forging a beacon of Environmental Justice that protects wildlife and Indigenous herder traditions in one elegant circuit. Catherine Stock’s color-rich pages let readers feel the dry heat, smell acacia smoke, and hear distant roars as Richard’s perseverance turns the night sky into a flashing covenant between people and predators. One thrilling question beams on: what other problems could young minds solve with scraps and courage? Tap the blue ➕ to Save to List for later inspiration, or hit the bold arrow to Learn More and connect your classroom, youth group, or congregation to Richard’s spark of peace.