A picture book of great tenderness begins with a lion raking his yard. When a bird from a flock flying high overhead is injured, the lion bandages the bird’s wing, but the flock moves on — autumn is clearly waning. So the lion and the bird spend a snug winter together, warm in his cozy home, sometimes venturing out for some cold-weather fun, the bird tucked into his mane. “It snows and snows. But winter doesn’t feel all that cold with a friend.” Spring brings warm weather, and the return of the other birds. It’s time for the lion and the bird to part. Time passes, lion carries on his solitary life, then it’s autumn again and he wonders about his friend. There is an absence, an ache, and, finally, sweet joy. Marianne Dubuc’s picture book is told largely through beautifully composed, muted illustrations that make use of both full-page spreads and spot illustrations surrounded by white space, with brief lines of lovely narrative punctuating the images every so often. There is a film-like quality to the visual storytelling in this rich, emotionally resonant tale. (Ages 4–8)

While doing fall gardening, Lion comes across an injured bird. Lion bandages the bird, and invites the bird to stay for the winter since this bird is unable to fly along with the others. Lion and the bird enjoy winter activities and the warmth of Lion's cozy house. Spring arrives, and now the bird is able to rejoin other birds. Lion misses the bird's company throughout summer . . . but when fall arrives, so does the bird. White space interspersed with rounded vignettes and spreads add to Lion's sense of loneliness when bird is not there, as well indicates the passage of time throughout the story.

Brain Pickings' #1 Best Picture Book of 2014, 2015 USBBY Outstanding International Books.

Author/illustrator lives in Montreal, Quebec.

France. Originally published in France as Le lion et l'oiseau by Les éditions de la Pastèque in 2013. English translation by Claudia Zoe Bedrick published in the United States by Enchanted Lion in 2014.

By a talent and highly acclaimed illustrator, The Lion and the Bird is every bit as unusual, lovely, and powerful as Little Bird and should be represented.

The high production values of the book, along with the quality of the images and storytelling, as well as the author's previous books should lead buyers to take a chance on this title.

Not to represent this book would be to miss out on a major book of the spring season.

This is a book for all ages so provide buyers, whether at the independents or the museum stores, with several strong choices in terms of shelving and presentation.

As a French Canadian author, Dubuc is close to the east coast and will be coming to promote and talk about her book.