Oscar's Lion

Oscar wakes up one Friday morning and his whole world has changed, his parents have disappeared, and it appears as though he is going to have to get used to being looked after by an enormous, unpredictable and rather haphazard lion who seems to have replaced his parents. After a weekend of magical, extraordinary and emotional experiences he realises that this is no ordinary unexpected lion and comes to understand how special his extended family are to him, making sense of his own feelings and coming to terms with some very personal loss.

It’s hard to write about this book without giving away key plot points and the surprise is key to the enjoyment of the book. This is a remarkable story told with humour and love. Adam Baron creates a Mary Poppins type world where anything is possible, strange things quickly become ordinary, and lessons are learnt through fantastical adventure and emotional connection. The narrative voice accepts all of the magical at face value and is a skilful portrayal of a child’s view of the complexity of life as the plot tumbles through historical, real life and eccentric exploits.  Expect to go from primary school homework to a Napoleonic sea battle to a World War 2 bomber and back to sledding down a hill in London. The book doesn’t shy away from the emotions that come when you are scared or sad and bear in mind that it does deal with the issue of the death of a family member and the grief that comes with that.  Benji Davies’s beautiful illustrations enhance the words bringing the magic to life and even more love to the pages.

A great book to read with children or for more confident readers to read to themselves. This is a book that will appeal to the lower end of a middle grade audience, and which will really support conversations about growing up and coming to terms with your feelings.