The Stone Lion (Margaret Wild, illus by Ritva Voutila, Little Hare)

If Margaret Wild retired from writing tomorrow she would, in my opinion, have made her mark as Australia’s greatest storyteller. She once said: ‘I don’t want to write safe, bland books. I want to provoke a reaction, and I want to make people laugh and cry.’ She never disappoints. This story of a stone lion who longs to be able to move will take its place alongside Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Happy Prince’. It is poignant, moving and compassionate; human and heartwarming. ‘Compassion is a force mightier than stone,’ says the back cover. The language is simple and expressive, telling the story of a lion crouched outside the library, his friend the gargoyle, a librarian who reads books while leaning against him, and a small girl and her baby brother. These are all significant characters whose lives will be connected forever. Ritva Voutila’s illustrations are set in the Depression era and feature art deco architecture that is so appropriate for the atmosphere of the story. Her striking oil-pastel paintings fill the double-page spreads with colour, and perfectly capture the characters and the setting. Highly recommended to read aloud or for independent readers aged five and above.

Margaret Hamilton is a former children’s book publisher. She now runs Pinerolo, the Children’s Book Cottage in Blackheath

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Category: Reviews