Zazu's View Misses a Lot of Major Details

My first impression of The Lion King left me wondering whether it would bear any resemblance to a typical Disney movie. That first wordless scene felt so epic, I initially questioned whether there would even be much in the way of dialogue. But once the presentation of Simba was over, the characters began to talk, and one of the chattiest was Zazu, Mufasa’s deputy. In Zazu’s View, a picture book written by Justine Korman and illustrated by Josie Yee, the hornbill has the spotlight to himself.

Zazu’s View is really just a retelling of The Lion King from Zazu’s perspective. What that means is that his narrative tone is a tad self-important and also that he incorporates as much bird-related imagery as possible. He calls himself Mufasa’s “right-wing bird,” which really doesn’t make a lot of sense because the point is that he’s at Mufasa’s right hand. “Right-paw” would be more fitting. Still, he mentions his wings whenever he can and is obviously very proud of them. He also uses bird metaphors like Mufasa sending the hyenas “flying like a bunch of frightened hens.”

The illustrations capture key moments in the movie. The pictures are detailed and full of rich color, and in addition to the full-page illustrations, there are four two-page spreads. For the most part, the pictures are pretty dire. Only three illustrations are truly tranquil, with no hint of agitation on any of the characters, and two of those are cub presentation scenes. The book basically moves swiftly from one harrowing event to the next, leaving little time to take it easy. There is no “hakuna matata” here.

That, I think, is the book’s biggest drawback. Because Zazu was not a part of it, the story completely excises Simba’s sojourn with Timon and Pumbaa. The warthog and meerkat show up on the last page, but that is their first appearance, and they are never mentioned by name – nor, for that matter, is Rafiki, the baboon who serves as the mystic of the Pridelands. We don’t get the names of the hyenas either, but that makes sense and doesn’t detract from their role in the story. Still, the fact of the matter is that there are big chunks of the story in which Zazu is not involved, so it feels incomplete. One page Simba’s gone, the next he’s back, and oh, yeah, he and Nala get married even though the last time they saw each other, when they were cubs, that thought totally grossed them out. There’s no transition.

It would have been interesting if this book had given a little something extra that Zazu saw while the attention in the movie was elsewhere, but it really doesn’t. The limited perspective takes scenes away but doesn’t add anything. Hence, while it’s a nice idea to give him his own book, Zazu’s View is just too narrow to make for a truly satisfying adaptation of the movie.