Ten year-old Leo loves to dance. Along with Patch, his dog, dancing is his favourite thing in the whole wide world. The end of term dance competition is coming up and he is determined that nothing will stop him getting on stage to perform. However, his selective mutism (SM) won’t let him take that final step and his dreams of one day being on the West End stage are fading away fast.
When Richa bounces into his life, quite literally, Leo’s world changes forever.
With an unending heatwave zapping everyone’s energy and after years of being ridiculed and laughed at, Leo is inspired by Richa’s easy-going nature and the friendship they have. The joy, acceptance and fun she brings, changes the way he not only sees himself but those around him too. Music and mayhem play a pivotal role as they find a way to communicate through the power of words and song – each in their own way. Together, they help each other overcome their fears on the stage and beyond.
When Richa confides in Leo that she can’t read or write, the secret threatens to end their friendship when he lets it slip to his siblings. To win back Richa’s trust, Leo has to be the bravest he’s ever been in his life.
Will they become friends once again? Will Leo ever be able to dance on stage? Will the heatwave ever end!
Camilla Chester has worked tirelessly with local families who have children with SM and one of the many reasons she has written Call Me Lion is not only to raise awareness of it but also to ensure positive representation within this age group of readers and beyond. With Irina Avgustonivich’s illustrations shining out from nearly every page, they’ve both created something very special in ‘Call Me Lion’. Leo and Richa have a little piece of my heart and I can’t wait to read more novels by Camilla. She has a fantastic insight into the way children see the world, whether they are finding their way through friendship troubles or jumping on a trampoline.
