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Conceptual variety is not an area of lack for Kevin Henkes. Ideas seemed to consistently flow throughout the course of his long career, both for his novels and picture books. Varied as his stories are, however, his illustrating style is easy to recognize, and Sun Flower Lion engages our senses with Henkes's familiar, bright array of colors. Does the sun on a clear day resemble a flower? Can a flower look like a lion with a yellow mane? In the opening chapters of this book, we see that sun, flower, and lion can be almost identical. How will the three of them interact, as our lion cavorts on a hillside beneath a shining sun?

Dozing off, the lion dreams about a field of flowers, which morph into fancy cookies as he grows hungry. That's a sure sign it's time to run home for a meal with his family. Some of the lions have yellow manes, others are entirely white, but our lion is content with his place among them, his belly full of good food. The sun, the flower, and the lion are each where they belong.

The color palette for Sun Flower Lion is snug and appealing, the visual lines crisp and clean, but the point of the story eludes me. The sun, flower, and lion each being formed from the exact same shape is interesting, but that mild artistic quirk seems to be everything this book offers. As for why it's divided into chapters, I think I know the answer. Kevin Henkes has noted that he sometimes uses chapters even if they aren't necessary, to encourage beginning readers; finishing your very first "chapter book" is an exciting accomplishment. If you prefer picture books with more narrative substance, I recommend the author's Owen, Jessica, or Waiting. I'd consider rating Sun Flower Lion one and a half stars, but you're not missing much if you skip this one.