The Lion and the Bird
The Lion and the Bird
Translated by Sarah Ardizzone
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A lion in dungarees and a bird with a broken wing form an unlikely friendship when they meet one Autumn day. As the pair watch the other birds in the flock fly away, Lion takes it upon himself to care for his new friend. Soon the pair are sharing stories in front of the fire, taking sleigh rides and whiling away winter evenings in their slippers.
Then, one day spring arrives. And so too do the other birds. Will Lion and Bird have to say goodbye to their friendship for the summer?
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REVIEWS
Wordless on many pages and illustrated with emotional economy in pencil, crayon and wash, it encompasses friendship, loss, the passing of the seasons and a happy ending. A pearl. {Nicolette Jones in The Sunday Times}
Arranged as spreads, vignettes and single pages we see how Lion supports Bird in every way he can. The narrative includes some bold approaches to storytelling that is most evident in the white pages that are not blank but instead poignant masterful inclusions. {Worldkidlit blog}
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I purchased this book on a whim after reading another one of Marianne Dubuc's books, Up The Mountain, and fell in love immediately! A beautiful tale of friendship and growth. Highly recommend.
The Lion and the Bird tells the heart-warming story of a friendship that develops after the Lion nurses the Bird back to full health. The story becomes a heart-breaking one of letting someone you love go.
Marianne Dubuc’s illustrations are so effective at showing the range of emotions that the characters experience. One of the most effective is the white double page spread with Lion, standing alone, in the bottom right-hand corner. His smaller figure from the pages before suggests that he is even more isolated and alone that he has previously been. The plain white pages around him emphasise this point because there is nothing but the Lion to look at.
I would use this book in schools, with Lower Key Stage 2 and use it to emphasise the power of illustrations and the possible positive relationship between them and words.
Overall, this is a really great text with lots of details to unpick about the characters and their experiences. I would definitely recommend reading this.
I love the space this book provides for the reader to be immersed in the story - the wordless sections allow each reader to bring their own narrative and understanding to the book. No two readings are the same and the universal themes are appreciated by young and old alike. The illustration style is also easily accessible - reminiscent of childhood coloured pencils, and the understated rendering brings a subtle strength to the characters.
| Ages | 3+ |
| Format | Hardback |
| Origin | Canada |
| Pages | 88 |
| Publishing date | September 2015 |
| Size | 245 x 195mm |