Near an African village, a lion lurks in the grasslands, frightening people and animals alike, until a little drummer girl changes the big cat's tune. [.] Cunha's digital inks balance warm and cool tones, vibrantly contrasting human characters' brown skin, brightly patterned dresses, and textured foliage with pink and yellow clouds and the dark blues of the forest. Each page turn leads to yet another artful spread. [.] As Nani ventures further out to find a space safe for her boisterous art, the world around her shifts and grows; she encounters polka-dotted giraffes and "aardwolves." But when the lion makes himself known with thunderous roars and crushed flowers beneath his paws, the subtext of this colorful allegory about confronting bullies becomes most potent. [.

] The scene of the villagers rejoicing, their arms splayed wide above their heads, with a botanical foreground and a pink mountainous sky behind them, is exuberantly charming. The image of Nani and a slumbering lion that follows offers a serene but cohesive contrast to conclude the story. A lion-taming tale with rhythm and heart.