4 picture books that roar with stories of courage and friendship

A tiny bird that recognizes its part in putting out a colossal conflagration. A woman displaced from her home in Lebanon who refuses to relinquish her dream. A distinctive girl who persuades her town to embrace a decidedly nonconformist way. And a brave little girl who confronts a mighty lion and changes his life and his kingdom. Four intrepid, tender books relay stories of courage from unexpected sources, and the change such fearlessness can spark. Reading these powerful tales with the little ones in your life shows that all of us – from the tiny bird, to the odd child out, to the displaced woman – are capable of kindling change.

Bravely befriending a lion

In “King Lion,” written and illustrated by Emma Yarlett, the lion rules – but he isn’t happy. He is wild with loneliness. Whenever he roars “HELLO!” or waves his claw-studded paws, or flashes his incisor-lined smile ... everyone just runs away. That is, until a brave little girl playing alone thinks she understands and roars back.

With its expressive, whimsical mixed-media illustrations, hand-lettered prose, and tender message on compassion, this sweet story about making friends captivated all three of my kids of different ages – 4, 9, and 11 – as we read aloud over tea and blondies one rainy spring afternoon.

My 9-year-old loved the moment the girl confronted the lion and roared back. My oldest appreciated how she reached out to the lion, and the positive change that bold step triggered as the lion learned how to be a friend. I was entranced by Yarlett’s layered, rich illustrations, which invited us to linger on each page and told the story as much as her simple prose did. And my youngest prowled around us, roaring and flashing his claws all the while.

“Sometimes we misunderstand people,” my son wisely commented after we finished the book. “We need to give them a second chance.”

Doing what you can

“The Littlest Drop” landed on my doorstep when the entire world seemed ablaze: bombs were dropped on people displaced in Gaza, wildfires blazed in California, and the fiery political scene in the United States seemed almost combustible. Amid it all, Sascha Alper’s story came like a balm. It’s a gentle but powerful – and empowering – message about change in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.

When a fire starts in their beautiful home in the wild, all the animals are too frightened to do anything but watch it burn. Except for the hummingbird. She flies to the river, fills her beak with the littlest drop of water, returns to the fire, and lets that drop fall. Back and forth, drop by drop, again and again.

When the elephant tells her, “You cannot put out that terrible fire. You are just a small bird.” She responds, “I am doing what I can.” So the wise old elephant looks at her grandchildren, bows her head to the hummingbird and declares, “Then I will do what I can,” and fills her trunk with water and begins to spray great jets of water on the fire. Soon all the animals join, tirelessly doing what each is able to do, swinging, slithering, crawling, flying, to extinguish the fire.

This book is a powerhouse. Beautifully illustrated with sweeping, textured brushstroke art by Caldecott medalist Jerry Pinkney and finished after his death by his son, Brian Pinkney, it drives home a searing message: No matter how little we are, or how insignificant our actions may appear, we have the power to change the world just by doing our part.

After we finished reading this book together, my older kids immediately recognized the significance of its message in light of our planet’s challenges. “Do what you can,” my 11-year-old, who loved this book, said earnestly. “Don’t underestimate the power of your actions.”

Overcoming obstacles

“Mariam’s Dream: The Story of Mariam Al-Shaar and Her Food Truck of Hope,” written by Leila Boukarim and illustrated by Sona Avedikian, is a bittersweet tale. It tells of Mariam, whose Palestinian family lives in a crowded refugee camp in Beirut. Since her birth in the camp, Mariam has been surrounded by walls that restrict her from working, learning, growing, and being. But not dreaming. She dreams of building a food business with the women in her camp featuring the flavors of their homes – Palestine, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon – and the colors of sumac, mint, cinnamon, and za’atar, whose scents have brought her comfort and joy all her life.

Mariam’s dream is lined with obstacles. “No, after no, after no, are like bricks stacked high in a wall that feels impossible to climb,” Boukarim writes.

This book is based on the true story of Mariam al-Shaar, a food entrepreneur and founder of Soufra, a women-run kitchen in the Bourj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut. Her story was featured in the award-winning 2017 documentary “Soufra.”

Mariam’s moving account, as told in the book, isn’t just about her own remarkable perseverance. It sheds light on the prejudice that people who are displaced encounter. And it highlights what can happen when a group of women works together, connects to its roots, and injects hope and possibility in the community.

My kids listened with rapt attention as I read this book aloud to them. The older ones appreciated Mariam’s persistence, and the change her determination eventually wrought. They also loved the descriptions and illustrations of dishes like falafel, mana’eesh , hummus, and mousakhan .

Perhaps the best testament to the conversations this book is meant to spark was my 4-year-old’s question: “What is a refugee?”

Appreciating nighttime delights

Every evening when the sun sets, each house in Garden Glen turns on its lights. Every house except the dark and mysterious home of Millie Fleur at the edge of town. So begins “Millie Fleur Saves the Night,” written and illustrated by Christy Mandin.

If the Addams family and “The Secret Garden” had a night-loving child with a green thumb, it would be the lead character in this delightfully peculiar sequel to the New York Times bestseller “Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden.” In the latest story, a girl must convince her light-loving town of the charms that can be found only in the dark, if they’re brave enough to embrace change.

“Behind my gates lies a world you’ve been missing. But you’ll have to put out your lanterns to see it,” Millie Fleur tells her neighbors. “You’ll have to be brave.”

When they do, they’re treated to a dazzling display: glowworms hanging in luminous strands from the trees; moonflowers, snoozing sugarplums, and twilight tulips releasing their enveloping scent; and fireflies blinking happily in a sparkling garden.

My daughter, a plant-whisperer, was delighted by the idea of a night garden, with its cloak of mystery.

My 4-year-old, who is afraid of the dark and sleeps with at least three lights on, had me reread this book many times and proclaimed it, “really, really, really good.” He’s not quite ready to embrace the dark, but the seed has been planted.