The illustrations are cute and sweet and will draw young readers in. The rhyming text reads smoothly and tells the story of a young lion too full of various anxieties to run and play with the big lions who are rougher and tougher. Instead he hangs out with friend and watch the big lions in hopes that someday they’ll grow up and be ready to join in. When little Bird hops to the top of a tree, and calls out in fear because she’s too afraid to jump since she doesn’t know how to fly, the big lions try to help, but they’re too big to climb the tree. In putting concern for his friend ahead of his own fears, Little Lion finds his brave and climbs up to rescue his friend. In finding his brave, he inspires little bird to be brave too, finally stretching her wings to fly. I like the message of finding one’s brave by putting the needs of others first, and I think it’s delivered effectively without being preachy. The cute pictures simply need to be shared with readers young enough not to know much about actual lions, like that manes are only on adult male lions, and that adult male lions don’t hang out together, but are either solitary or surrounded by a pride of females and young (maneless) cubs.