The Lion And The Bird: PB #4 for 14:14 Review

Title: The Lion And The Bird
Author/Illustrator:
Marianne Dubuc
Publisher: 
Enchanted Lion Books
Year: 2014
Word Count: 142
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Summary

One autumn day, a lion finds a wounded bird in his garden. The lion nurses the bird back to health. In the process, they build a beautiful friendship, which saves them both from pain of loneliness. When spring arrives, the bird rejoins his flock. Lion is lonely once again, until the bird returns in autumn.

Story Element: Character

This gentle story shows a loving Lion who through words and actions cares for a hurt bird. They become dear friends. And when the Bird is ready, Lion quietly watches him fly away. The character of Lion is akin to a parent caring for a child until one day that child leaves the nest.

Dubuc’s warm illustrations show a deep understanding of childhood and loneliness, but also have a musical quality. “She plays with scale and negative space in a courageous and uncommon way — scenes fade into opacity as time passes, Lion shrinks as Bird flies away, and three blank pages punctuate the story as brilliantly placed pauses that capture the wistfulness of waiting and longing. What emerges is an entrancing sing-song rhythm of storytelling and of emotion.”

(Post #4 for the 14:14 Picture Book Blog Review Challenge created by Christie Wild of Write Wild. http://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com)