The Lion and the Swallow written and illustrated by Marianne Dubuc, Enchanted Lion Books, 2014.

Recommended for ages 3-8

One autumn day, a lion working in his garden finds an injured bird.“You’re welcome to stay with me,” Lion assures Bird.  Over the winter Lion nurses  Bird back to health and the two share the comforts of Lion’s home and the wonders of the seasons.  When spring returns so do Bird’s feathered friends and, after consulting with an understanding Lion, Bird rejoins his flock. Lion returns home,  lonely but philosophical, musing "And so it goes, sometimes life is like that.” But autumn returns, and as the birds begin their annual migration to warmer climes, Lion wonders if he’ll see his old friend. Suddenly,  Lion hears a chirp (brilliantly illustrated with a single musical note on an otherwise blank two-page spread).  Bird has returned for the winter. “Together, we’ll stay warm again this winter,” Lion assures Bird, as the two settle in the house under a starlit sky dominated by a crescent moon.

Dubuc’s story of a lion who finds and helps an injured bird is a classic story of friendship set against the cycle of the year. The simplicity and spareness of her narrative and the flat, muted color illustrations give it a fable like quality, rendering the story timeless. Dubuc’s layout of the illustrations is remarkable.

Read my full review and find out more abou the author and illustrator at Good Reads with Ronna.