Call Me Lion

Leo dreams of dancing in a West End Show like ‘The Lion King’ and is excited about going to Just Jive, a summer dance school. But he is worried his selective mutism will put an end to his dreams of dancing at the end of summer show. When chatty, lovely Richa moves in nest door, Leo hopes he might have found a friend at last, one who doesn’t mind the fact that he can’t talk. However, Richa is hiding a secret of her own, needing Leo’s support just as much as he needs hers.

Heart-warming and poignant, ‘Call Me Lion’ is a much needed book which offers a voice to those with selective mutism and instills empathy and understanding into everyone who reads it. Desperate for a friend who will understand and value him, Leo reaches out to Richa and puts his trust in her. As Leo is well aware, everyone knows about his ‘secret’, but Richa’s bubbly personality and confidence are helping her to hide something herself. Together, they support and value each other, sharing a passion for dance and a genuine affection for one another.

Leo’s family are warm and wonderfully supportive. Camilla Chester has captured a real sense of the relationship between Leo’s brother, Ryan, and sister, Brianne, as the siblings bicker, yet their unity in the protection of their little brother is absolute. As thoughtless comments showing both a lack of understanding and sensitivity are made by both adults and children, the reader feels Leo’s distress as we share his thoughts about how his selective mutism controls him, about how unfair it is to believe that you ‘can’t be friends with someone who can’t talk’ and how he longs to share his joy and love of dance without being held back. There were several points at which I shed a few tears as the writing is beautiful.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough- as an excellent piece of writing as well as an inclusive, thought-provoking story. I can’t wait to get this into the library!

Call Me Lion Camilla Chester

Firefly Press ISBN: 978- 191302890

Published 16th June 2022