King Lion
Emma Yarlett
Walker Books

Being ruler of a kingdom is a lonely task so King Lion decides a friend would relieve his loneliness. His roaring however, only serves to send any potential companions running. So he tries paw waving, smiling and cracking jokes but nobody understands his message. Then feeling lonelier than ever, he climbs right up to the very top of a clocktower – the tallest place in his kingdom – and asks once more if anyone will be his friend. Again all that happens is that his roars, jaws and claws cause terror and misunderstanding. “The King is dreadful,” say his subjects as they rush away to hide leaving their ruler growing ever wilder with sadness, which he expressed as always by roaring.

Then one day, a little girl sees the lion with his alarming characteristics. She though has a feeling that perhaps she understands the creature.

That night she comes up with a very, very brave plan. This she enacts the following morning … There’s no better way to communicate than this child’s way, which is based on experience and understanding, both of which lead to a lesson for the lion and the start of a happy friendship between the two.

Funny, joyful and dramatically illustrated.