Illustrated and written by Marianne Dubuc, translated by Sarah Ardizzone

Published by Book Island

Reviewed by Karl Andy Foster

This awarding winning title (Marianne Dubuc won the Canadian Governor General Award for outstanding illustrations in 2014) contains a gentle fable about friendship and loneliness. One afternoon in early autumn Lion finds Bird in his garden. She is injured and he helps her out. Through the winter there are inseparable. Lion readily shows compassion and is quite the good Samaritan.

This hardback, perfect bound book shows a Lion in dungarees with a bird on his shoulder on the cover. Their eyes connect. Inside the text is clear, direct and compliments the visual language of the author perfectly. The Canadian French to English translation by Sarah Ardizzone brings us an economical and nuanced narrative.

As usual Dubuc is using a limited colour palette. Her earthy greens and browns work well alongside sky blue and aids her in her pursuit of emotional clarity. She uses washes of colour, relaxed line work and flowing organic forms for her illustrations. She is crafting a world that we can believe in. Her characters have simple dots for eyes so much the expression comes through whole body postures. Arranged as spreads, vignettes and single pages we see how the 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.

I read this book twice before I wrote my review and my mind kept coming back to the same reference – Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince (a picture book story I’ve reviewed in the past). The Lion though an ordinary person has a heart as big as that of the Happy Prince. After all Lions are the King of beasts. The Happy Prince and the Swallow developed a strong bond despite the pull of migration. This is also sensitively captured in Dubuc’s story.

One day Bird has to leave to return to her flock. There is a sequence when Bird leaves that is almost heart breaking. When Lion looks up and sees a familiar V formation he closes his eyes in acceptance of his loss. The everyday tasks that Lion is responsible for are now painful chores once Bird leaves. He cannot take the same pleasures as he did before.

Dubuc is careful in her use of blank pages, graphic elements and body language. The fate of Lion is dependent on companionship. It is something he needs even though he was originally unaware of this. If you love someone you need to set them free but if they come back then that is a love you can bet your house on.