Animal Tales is a series of 12 controlled readers bringing Dr. Phil McGraw's Life Strategies to 3rd-5th graders. Students are taken on an African adventure where the life strategies are presented as fables.The Lion's Tale is the third book in the series. In this book, readers learn of the problems one of Jake's friends is having because of her shyness and her desire to become popular. They learn of how this friend tries on a few different personae but each one is worse than the last. Jake wants to help but doesn't know how.Because his mother isn't home when Jake gets back from school, he goes to spend some time in his room and is transported once more to the village. Grandpa has decided that he is to have his second lesson (or life strategy). Once there, the boy again shares his problems with his friend, Nia.Grandpa intervenes once more. This time he sends Jake and Elena to a pride of lions that live close to the village. There, they watch a tale unfold where a lion named Kondoo strugglers with his own shyness and desire to be accepted.The story unfolds to show Kondoo make mistake after mistake as he takes on different personae. Finally, his one friend helps him realize that people's reactions to him are caused by his behaviors and the way he presents himself. She helps Kondoo realize the importance of starring in his own show or life. Kondoo does so and is granted a beautiful mane to remind all the animals of the importance of being king or queen of your own space and to star in your own show.Once again, on the way back to the village, Jake faces a challenge and shows that he's learned this second lesson well. Jake reviews his lesson with Nia before being transported home where he is to help his friend through her struggle.The learning of this second life strategy, moves Jake's journey into adulthood forward a step.