Oscar wakes up to find his parents have been replaced by a lion. It’s not any old lion either; this one will indulge him with reading his favourite story over and over and letting him eat as many biscuits as he likes. Even stranger, it seems to be able to transform into different animals when it needs to. Best of all, it has a taste for fun.

With the lion as his guide, Oscar has adventure after adventure and the weekend of his life – all within a few miles of his house. Then, just as Benji has learned to trust and appreciate the lion, the weekend comes to an end and their exuberant partnership is over. This time it’s Oscar who is transformed. Now that he understands the world around him that little bit better, rather than grieving what is lost, he celebrates and cherishes what remains.

This is a moving book about seizing the day and looking for the wonder in the familiar weather in nature, museums or, most especially, people. It has the warmth of feeling of the best picture books. Adam Baron is a confident storyteller whose every word is measured and who can subtly manipulate his reader’s emotions without even seeming to try. Big themes are alluded to with such gentle hints that it’s up to the reader to decide how far to investigate them.

The episodic structure of the story would make this little gem a good read aloud for lower Key Stage 2 to help build emotional intelligence and resilience, especially in the face of loss and uncertainty.