'One day I shall repay you for your kindness.' With these words a rat makes a solemn promise to a lion who has allowed the tiny creature to escape from between his fearsome paws. But what can a little rat do to help a mighty lion, the King of the Jungle? The simple messages of this La Fontaine fable - that acts of kindness will always be returned and that even the strongest and mightiest sometimes need the help of the smallest and weakest - are gloriously told in this lovely picture book from Brian Wildsmith, an internationally acclaimed writer and artist for children. His simple words and sumptuous illustrations bring a freshness to this timeless fable and the stunning new cover design and imaginative interior typography will delight a whole new generation of young Wildsmith fans.

布莱恩·瓦尔德史密斯（Brian Wildsmith）是英国图画书界的常青树，有着“华丽色彩大师”之称。他创造了华丽奔放的图画书世界。

布莱恩·瓦尔德史密斯于1930年出生于英国约克郡，毕业于巴斯利美术学院和伦敦大学艺术系（斯莱德美术学院），曾做过数学、音乐教师，之后专心从事绘画创作。他善于混合运用水彩、水粉、彩粉、拼贴等多种表现手法，以自由大胆的色彩、构图和变形著称。

布莱恩创作出版过八十多种绘本，被译成约二十种文字，是世界知名的大师级图画书作家。1962年的处女作《怀念史密斯ABC》让他一鸣惊人，夺下英国插画界格林威大奖，这是英国图画书界的最高奖项。1994年，日本建成布莱恩?瓦尔德史密斯博物馆，特别展出这位大师的珍贵原作。

评论家赞美，“他不只是插画家，内心更像一位哲学家”。他本人深信好的图画书可以更早亲近艺术与文化。“图画书结合图画与想象，美丽的创作可以提升孩子的视觉感受力，影响是一辈子”，“孩子的小小心灵就像一本空白的书，等待记载爱、幽默、同情与智慧。