In the backyard of an ordinary house on an ordinary street in an ordinary town, there was once a most extraordinary tree. It was an enormous willow tree and in the middle of its trunk there was a hole. And if you found yourself near that willow tree with a certain wonder stirring in your heart, you might notice a colorful sparkle coming from that hole.And what was that sparkle?An invitation to go somewhere long ago and far far away.

This is part one of the Willowbee introduction, called “The Lion’s Eye”

Six year old Clancy, notices something strange about the willow tree in the back yard of his new house.Could that be a glow coming from the center of the tree? On closer inspection, he finds a large hole and discovers that it leads him to a wonderful land where animals talk and a little boy can play games with giddy zebras, a joyful baboon and a very persnickety lion.