Spanish / Spain
Dentro del león
(Inside the lion)
Albo, Pablo
(text)
Font, Anna
(illus.)
Aguadulce, Almería: Libre Albedrío, 2025. – [52] p.
ISBN 978-84-128200-9-6
Lion | Picture book | Zoo | Gluttony | Chain story
Reading age: 3+
White Ravens issue: 2025
In her veterinarian practice, Dr Durrell receives a lion from the zoo who has a gigantic, never-before-seen paunch and is tormented by awful pain. The doctor bravely reaches into the lion’s mouth and pulls out: a father who is looking for his lost son; the zoo’s cashier (and a penguin); the ticket booth (and a penguin); an ambulance (and a penguin); a bus and all its passengers; sheep; a lovesick poet (and a penguin); this and that (and several penguins); and finally, the cheeky boy who caused all the chaos. All’s well that ends well! And the lion can embark on a journey to the savannah to visit his family. Pablo Albo and Anna Font tell this grotesque chain story in a grandiose way: thanks to its laconic tone, the rhythmic, partly rhyming text forms a perfect bond with the pictures. The scenes are delightfully loony and populated by very funny, likeable characters. »Dentro del león« is a wonderfully absurd and hilarious read-aloud book that invites looking at again and again. [JW]