Blue Lion Wanini 10: The Road to the Savannah - Changbi Children's Books 354

Author Lee Hyun · Publisher Changbi · Published 2026-07-10 · ISBN 9788936443542

About the Book

"A work that expanded the horizons of Korean children's literature"
"A masterpiece that marks a new chapter in literary history"

The tenth installment of the 'Wanini the Blue Lion' series, concluding a 10-year journey
of a young lioness, cast out from her pride for being deemed useless,
who rises to become a great leader of her time.

Ten years after its first publication in 2015, the 'Wanini the Blue Lion' series, which has continued with the enthusiastic support of young readers, concluded with its 10th volume. This series, consistently loved as a representative bestseller for 'one book per semester' in elementary schools, was selected by IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) in 2022 as a 'book all children worldwide should read' and was named to the Hans Christian Andersen Award Honor List. In 2025, it won the Kwon Jeong-saeng Literary Award with praise such as "a grand epic set against the vast wilderness" and "a groundbreaking work that expanded the horizons of Korean children's literature." In January 2026, a musical of the same name premiered as the first family musical to be selected as a 'New Work of the Year' by the Korea Arts Management Service's Performing Arts Creation Center, and in July, a live performance film was screened in 15 CGV theaters nationwide, expanding the world of the work to stage and screen. Wanini, a young lioness who was small and unskilled at hunting, was cast out of her pride, but after a long journey, she grew into a leader admired by the entire savanna. The final volume goes beyond Wanini's growth, embracing stories of trusting those around her and passing life on to the next generation, completing a meaningful 'coming-of-age narrative for our times.'

"The warmth of what you hold cannot fill the void of what you've lost.
Wanini knew she had to live today that way.
Tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, too."

Flames engulfing the Black Land, Wanini faces another farewell

Volume 10 begins with a scene where man-made fire engulfs the Black Land. The Wanini pride, in an attempt to escape the flames and move across the human path to an unfamiliar savanna, experiences another profound loss. Barabara, the male lion weakened by injuries in Volume 9, ultimately could not keep up with the pride. Facing another separation so soon after losing her beloved friend Malaika to a hyena pack and her young daughter Nyota to the hooves of a wildebeest herd, Wanini plunges into deep sorrow. However, she prioritizes her responsibility as a leader to guide the pride, suppressing her grief. The newly reached savanna is abundant with prey and peaceful, and her daughters spend their days excited by the curiosity of the unknown land. Wanini, however, remains resolute in her intention to return to the Black Land that she and her friends had protected, believing that the burnt land will one day turn green again. While Wanini insists they must return to their cultivated territory, her daughters, dreaming of new adventures and unfamiliar encounters, sometimes make bold choices. This naturally reminds readers of the young Wanini in the first volume, who, instead of conforming to the existing order, chose her own path, opposing the savanna's absolute leader, the lioness Madiba. The sight of Wanini, now a parent and leader, and the grown next generation looking towards different futures, beautifully portrays the way the savanna continues and the cycle of generations.

"Our mothers always said, successful hunting isn't the only hunting.
Failed hunting is also a lioness's hunt."

Those who leave, those who return, those who carry on
Stories of the savanna that span generations

In the unfamiliar savanna, Wanini encounters an old legend she had forgotten. The trigger is when her curious daughter, Tayari, falls into a deep pit and is rescued by two old male elephants who are on their final journey to "the savanna where rain clouds always dwell." For readers who remember the first volume of the series, this is a welcome reunion. It is the legendary savanna that young Wanini, accompanied by Jambo, Uncle Asante, and Malaika, had to turn back from at the edge of a steep cliff. As Wanini reflects on old memories, she reconsiders her path forward, and in the meantime, the daughters of the Wanini pride begin to dream of their own paths through new encounters. Now, Wanini learns to trust and let her daughters go rather than holding them back. Unexpected changes also await them in the Black Land they return to, and Wanini, as a leader, faces another critical moment of choice. Through the savanna, where encounters and partings, life and death, loss and hope are constantly intertwined throughout the series, author Lee Hyun profoundly depicts the meaning of living. In Volume 10, she once again brilliantly metaphors all our lives through the story of the savanna.

"From some thicket, she will embark on a path she must walk alone.
Until that day comes, she will take one step, then another.
She will live today, a gift from the savanna."

A story concluded in the most Wanini-like way
The savanna of Wanini the Blue Lion continues forever

When Wanini hesitated before making a choice, what illuminated her path, unexpectedly, was the final journey of the old male elephant heading for "the savanna where rain clouds always dwell." Though he couldn't reach the legendary savanna, his end became a gift embracing all life in the savanna. Watching lions and hyenas, eagles and jackals gather to feed on the life left by the elephant, Wanini profoundly realizes that life and death, departure and continuity, are all part of a single cycle. The truth that even the greatest beings ultimately return to the savanna vividly completes the message that has permeated the series, keeping readers on the edge of their seats to see what choice Wanini will make. The 10th volume also features familiar faces from previous installments of the series, offering the enjoyment expected of a conclusion. Uncle Asante, an unforgettable name for devoted readers, once again makes a significant presence. In the daughters' backs as they decide to run across the savanna on their own, we see a reflection of their friend Maisha, who, in Volume 5, left the Wanini pride following her own beliefs. Patoo, the young black rhinoceros, and Tukio, the baboon, the protagonists of the spin-off, also appear in more mature forms, showing how the world of the series is connected as one vast savanna. The 'Wanini the Blue Lion' series concludes its 10-year epic journey, conveying with quiet yet profound resonance the truth that sorrow does not disappear, but life continues, and moving forward while embracing loss is indeed the power of living. We hope this work will be a perfect farewell for readers who have grown up with Wanini, and a welcome first encounter for those discovering the series anew, and that it will be cherished for a long time.

Synopsis

When human-made fire engulfs the Black Land, the Wanini pride moves across the human path to an unfamiliar savanna. In the process, Wanini, having lost another dear friend, confronts the responsibility of leading the pride even amidst deep grief. Meanwhile, her grown daughters begin to dream of new lives, and Wanini once again hears stories about "the savanna where rain clouds always dwell," which she had long considered only a legend. Can the Black Land be revived into a green savanna? What truth of the savanna will Wanini encounter at the end of her final journey?

* Certification Type: Supplier Conformity Confirmation

Table of Contents

1. From the Sky │ 2. The Black Land Again │ 3. Barabara, the Male Lion │ 4. The New Savanna │ 5. The Pit │ 6. Legends of the Savanna │ 7. When the Daughters Grow │ 8. Another Shadow │ 9. On a Starry Night │ 10. The Empty Place │ 11. Jambo's Work │ 12. The Gift of the Savanna │ 13. Wanini the Blue Lion │ 14. Today's Sky │ Author's Note