"The Happy Lion" by Louise Fatio and Roger Duvoisin is an absolutely fantastic lesson in picture book creation.
Not only is it a simple but amusing story that has more layers than an onion, it features the sort of illustrations that make you want to climb into the book.
Louise and Roger were one heck of a creative team, collaborating on many books together but none finer than this classic example of storytelling.
Though he spends his life in a zoo, the Happy Lion is indeed very happy. Lots of people come by to say "Bonjour Happy Lion!" every day, and he greets them with a smile and a wag of his long tail.
But one day, a clumsy zookeeper leaves the door to Lion's enclosure open. So Lion, missing his friends, decides to go walkabout in the town to see if he can find the kindly folk who stop to wave to him every day.
The only problem is, when Lion does find them, they greet him with an "AAAAARGHHHH!!!" or a "YIKKKKEEEEES" rather than "Bonjour".
Things come to a head as a grand attempt to recapture the Happy Lion is made, but perhaps one very special little boy - and Lion's best friend - might coax the magnificent creature back into his cage without the need for bloodshed or violence.
There's something about this one, something that is eminently pleasing - and solid enough to keep an 11 year old "on the wane" with picture books completely and utterly enrapt in this fantastic little story.
As we said, it's the perfect example of not overcooking a story, not being scared of a bit more of a word count than the usual "500 words or DIE" rubbish that so many picture books are (mistakenly, in our opinion) beholden to.
Just so good. Don't miss out on this one.
Sum this book up in a sentence: Picture book perfection, reprinted in a hugely attractive new volume, a masterclass in picture book storymaking.
"The Happy Lion" by Louise Fatio and Roger Duvoisin is out now, published by Scallywag Press (kindly supplied for review).