cover image The Happy Lion

The Happy Lion

Louise Fatio. Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, $14.95 (40pp) ISBN 978-0-375-82759-4

A number of newly reissued classics aim to entertain new generations of readers. The Happy Lion by Louise Fatio, illus. by Roger Duvoisin, returns to celebrate its 50th anniversary. In the first of what was a series of 10 books, set in a provincial French town, this tale follows the hero after the door to his zoo is left open. The lion visits all the kind people who see him daily and grows confused by their terrified reactions. Duvoisin adds a charming mix of b&w and three-color illustrations of the scruffy protagonist.