Nani and the Lion

Grouchy and despotic Lion prowls the edge of young Nani’s village, frightening its human inhabitants and the other animals alike. “I am Lion, lord of the land! No one dares make noise in King Lion’s land!” [...] Everyone is frightened, but the clever protagonist knows what will soothe the savage beast. Williams’s (Steptoe winner and Newbery honoree for Genesis Begins Again, rev. 1/19) text has the cadence of a folktale, with ear-pleasing sound effects and patterns and featuring a satisfying resolution. Cunha’s (illustrator of Indigo Dreaming, rev. 9/22) beautifully textured and colorful digital illustrations center her characteristic rosy-cheeked, brown-skinned humans—and one very expressive big cat. -- Horn Book * January/February 2026 Issue *
Near an African village, a lion lurks in the grasslands, frightening people and animals alike, until a little drummer girl changes the big cat’s tune. [...] Cunha’s digital inks balance warm and cool tones, vibrantly contrasting human characters’ brown skin, brightly patterned dresses, and textured foliage with pink and yellow clouds and the dark blues of the forest. Each page turn leads to yet another artful spread. [...] As Nani ventures further out to find a space safe for her boisterous art, the world around her shifts and grows; she encounters polka-dotted giraffes and “aardwolves.” But when the lion makes himself known with thunderous roars and crushed flowers beneath his paws, the subtext of this colorful allegory about confronting bullies becomes most potent. [...] The scene of the villagers rejoicing, their arms splayed wide above their heads, with a botanical foreground and a pink mountainous sky behind them, is exuberantly charming. The image of Nani and a slumbering lion that follows offers a serene but cohesive contrast to conclude the story. A lion-taming tale with rhythm and heart. -- Kirkus * December 1, 2025 *