The Lion and the Bird

Starred review from June 1, 2014
Preschool-K *Starred Review* The intimacy of friendship, as well as the bittersweet sweep of time, is exquisitely rendered in this spare story of a kindly lion who rescues an injured bird flying south for winter. Many of the spreads are wordless, with the story being told through the mere depiction of a very few details: a home isolated in a snowstorm, a crocus popping up from a white bank, or Lion looking small on a bare page after Bird recovers and joins his old flock as it passes by again in spring. Just as with the seasons though, things that are gone return, and when Bird's single note pierces an otherwise blank page, the signal is clear. Just as they did when Bird recovered, the duo are sure to spend a warm time together by Lion's fire or in fun activities like sledding and ice fishing. The charming depiction of Lion's home will delight sharp-eyed children, and the gentle pace of the story, which takes its time as surely as the plants in Lion's garden take their time to grow, is reassuring. A much needed antidote to the speed of the world, this picture book by French Canadian Dubuc is one to savor.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

April 15, 2014
Canadian artist Dubuc delivers a quiet story that knits together themes of friendship and the circle of seasons. Working in his autumn garden, Lion hears a sound. An injured bird falls to the ground as its flock flies south. Lion nurses the bird to health, and the pair winters together in Lion's firelit cottage. "It snows and snows. / But winter doesn't feel all that cold with a friend." Spring returns, with flowers, garden sprouts and yes--a V-shaped flock. In a poignant scene, the now-healed bird gestures upward. " 'Yes, ' says Lion. 'I know.' " Lonely, Lion consoles himself with summer pursuits: tending the ripening garden, reading, fishing. When autumn arrives with a fallen leaf, Lion, looking skyward, wonders, "And how about you?" Dubuc's pictures have a charming, naive appeal. Against muted washes of brown, blue and green, colored pencils delineate Lion's home and garden in simple, rounded shapes. Lion's accommodations for his tiny guest will conjure smiles: The bird sleeps in a slipper and relaxes in a little box by the fire. For winter fun, the two toboggan and ice fish, the bird peeking out from inside Lion's balaclava. Dubuc excels at capturing emotions visually. The angle of Lion's posture, with a single nuanced line for his mouth, evinces joy or sadness. White space--sometimes whole pages--speaks its own language of loss and hope. A sensitive, uplifting meditation. (Picture book. 4-7)

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June 1, 2014

K-Gr 3-Spare text and eloquent artwork tenderly capture the true heart of friendship. It's autumn, and Lion is working in his garden when he discovers an injured bird and bandages its wing. The two watch quietly as the bird's flock fades away into the slate-colored sky. "'Don't worry, '" says Lion and offers his visitor shelter at his cozy home. A wordless spread shows the new friends sharing a meal, sitting in front of a roaring fire, and soundly sleeping (Lion in his bed, the bird nestled in his host's slipper). Snow falls, outdoor activities are enjoyed, and winter passes in contented companionship. Spring arrives-along with the flock-and Lion, sad but empathetic, bids his friend farewell. "Sometimes life is like that." The earlier illustration is re-created, and the bird's absence and Lion's loneliness speak louder than words. Summer sails by, and when fall returns, Lion, looking at sky, wonders, "And how about you?" Just when he gives up hope, he receives a joyful surprise. Dubuc's charming, pastel-hued illustrations convey gentle humor and genuine feeling. The story's measured pacing allows readers to discover and relish each emotional nuance. A lovely choice to share and savor.-Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2014
Cover art of a pink-cheeked bird and the blue-overalled lion on whose shoulder it's perched presage the affectionate tale within. Spare color-enriched drawings tell the story with minimal text: it's autumn, and Lion is putting his garden to bed for the winter when the bird falls to earth from its migrating flock. Taking it into his cozy home (fireplace, rocker), Lion makes his new friend a bed in his own slipper; for such winter activities as sledding, he carries it in his cap. Then, spring comes. The bird rejoins its kind: "And so it goes. Sometimes life is like that." Lonely and pensive, Lion tends his garden all summer. When autumn arrives, he is overjoyed when his friend returns for another companionable winter. Minimal detail, gentle colors, horizontal brushstrokes across double-page spreads, and an ingenious use of white space--and even occasional empty pages (to indicate the passage of time)--contribute to the success of this inviting Peaceable Kingdom of a tale. joanna rudge long

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2015
Spare color-enriched drawings tell the story with minimal text: in autumn, a bird falls to earth from its migrating flock. Lion takes it into his cozy home, but when spring comes the bird rejoins its kind. When autumn arrives again, however, Lion is overjoyed: his friend returns for another companionable winter. Minimal detail, gentle colors, and white space contribute to this inviting, affectionate tale.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from March 31, 2014
Dubuc (Animal Masquerade) tells the story of an intimate friendship with few words, light lines, and gentle colors. Gardening in his yard one autumn day, Lion finds a bird with a broken wing. The other birds are flying south, but this bird can’t. “You’re welcome to stay with me,” Lion offers. The two spend the winter together, dwelling in perfect contentment in Lion’s cozy, round-roofed hut. Dubuc makes the most of their disparate sizes. The bird nestles in Lion’s knitted cap as Lion goes tobogganing and ice fishing, and he sleeps in one of Lion’s fuzzy slippers. In the spring, he perches on a twig and gestures toward the other birds. “Yes,” nods Lion. “I know.” As the bird flies off, Dubuc draws the abandoned Lion from the viewpoint of the departing bird; a page turn shows him again, smaller, diminished, the paw that holds his hat hanging. He resumes his solitary life, but when autumn returns, he’s seen with his eyes closed, wishing. Readers will rejoice with him when the bird returns. It’s a remarkably moving, and—considering it features two animals—deeply human story. Ages 4–up.