Originally written and published in Euskera, or Basque, in 1995 as Xolok badu lehoien berri, and then translated by author Bernardo Atxaga into Spanish that same year, as Shola y los leones, Shola and the Lions was first translated into English in 2013, and included in The Adventures of Shola, published by the London-based Pushkin Children's Books. It was published separately, in this individual volume, in 2015. A delightfully quirky and charming tale, it follows the eponymous Shola, a little white mutt with a penchant for lying, as she convinces herself that she is a lion. Many hilarious conversations with her human companion, Señor Grogó, ensue, until finally Shola sets out for the "jungle" (AKA the park) to "hunt" (AKA dumpster dive) for food like a proper lion. Will Shola stick to her guns, and maintain her identity as a lion? Or will the rumbling in her tummy, and the memory of the tasty mince she left behind at Señor Grogó's convince her she is truly a mutt...?

Bernardo Atxaga's story here is an absolute delight, and illustrator Mikel Valverde's accompanying artwork only adds to the hilarity! There were moments when I had to chuckle aloud, as when Shola reads the book on lions, "eager to remember what she had been like before she had been deceived into thinking that she was a mere dog, a mutt." The droll sense of humor here, leavened by a feeling of sympathy for Shola and her shenanigans, makes for entertaining reading, while the artwork adeptly captures its canine (excuse me, leonine) character's saucy charm. I was eager to pick up Shola and the Lion, partly because I had never encountered a Basque children's book before, but I finished it with a true appreciation for the author and artist's work, irrespective of their origin, and a strong desire to seek out more. I think I will have to hunt down The Adventures of Shola, and read more about this dog and her long-suffering human! Recommended to anyone who appreciates amusing children's fiction, populated with quirky characters. ( )