The power of friendship is what this children’s’ book is all about. The unlikely duo of lion and bird surviving the long winter together as the rest of birds flock flies away for the winter is portrayed in lightly colored illustrations. Lion finds bird as he’s tending his garden. Injured, lion bandages bird and before long, the two are warming up to a fire and sharing a meal. The snow starts to fall and with bird tucked away in a special opening in his stocking hat, the two friends get ready for a day of sledding and fishing. The winter continues and the friends stay warm together. Spring is in the air, birds flock returns and lion knows it is time for him to leave because “Sometimes life is like that.” Life continues for lion and as the pages turn, it is the illustrations and text that show that lion is content with his life alone. As the birds take flight again, to migrate again for the winter, lion’s looks up for he sees something familiar in the sky and “maybe.” It’s such a sweet and comforting book that could be read with just the illustrations. This book had more pages than I expected, it really helps with the passing of time which is important to the theme of the book. It’s a wonderful, comforting story. The Lion and the Bird is a really fantastic French import. It's thicker than your average picture book, but it isn't very wordy. It would work well for a story time as long as you have a group that will sit still and enjoy the pictures. The story is sweet, about a lion who fixes a bird's wing and then has to let the bird go. The illustrations are soft, vaguely retro and have just enough detail. The use of white space is also very well done. Overall, a great picture book.
What do You think about The Lion And The Bird (2014)?
boring. and why does the lion live where it snows?!
—Cassidy
