A sun. A flower. And a lion. With three visual motifs, three colors, and fewer than 200 words, renowned Caldecott Medalist and #1 New York Times-bestseller Kevin Henkes cracks open the wide world and the youngest child’s endless imagination. This irresistible picture book is a must-have for every reader and every family.

On a warm morning, a little lion sleeps under a sun that shines so brightly, it looks like a flower. He dreams the flower is as big as the sun. He dreams the flower is a cookie. He lets his imagination soar.

Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes uses simple shapes, limited colors, and a pitch-perfect text to tell Lion’s story in this transcendent picture book. Sun Flower Lion introduces emerging readers to short chapters, action verbs, and adjectives, while bright illustrations transform simple shapes into something magical.

Sun Flower Lion will shine at story time and bedtime and for young children just learning how to read on their own.

An adventure in imagination for the youngest readers:

Simple Shapes & Concepts: Watch a sun become a flower and a flower become a lion in a world made of bright, gentle art.
First Chapter Book Experience: Introduce emerging readers to the concept of chapters with a simple, rewarding story structure that builds confidence.
From a Caldecott Medalist: From the celebrated creator Kevin Henkes, a master of capturing the wonder of early childhood.
Ideal for Early Readers: With repetitive, easy-to-follow text, this book helps little ones take their first steps toward reading on their own.