One autumn, lion finds an injured bird in his garden and generously invites him to spend the winter in his cosy little house, with the assurance, “You won’t be cold here.” As it turns out, of course, bird isn’t the only one in need of warmth, particularly the special kind that lonely hearts yearn for.

The Lion and the Bird is not a wordless book — although the text is quite minimal — but it may as well be one. Because you don’t so much as read the book but FEEL every page, thanks to the author’s outstanding illustrations and quietly confident storytelling, which allow the tale to unfold as softly and naturally as the passing of the seasons.

At its heart, this is a simple story about two kindred spirits, but there’s also a certain poignancy in its honest and mature depiction of friendship that makes this book stand out. People come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime, and, as this book beautifully portrays, perhaps their true impact shouldn’t be measured by time, but by the space that they take up in our hearts.