One day, a lion strolls into town to buy a hat - but the townspeople are frightened of lions and chase him away. The lion runs and runs, until he finds a little girl called Iris, who isn’t frightened of lions at all.

Iris promises to help the lion hide, and keeps the secret even from her parents, as mums and dads can be funny about having a lion in the house. But hiding the lion soon proves difficult and when mum discovers him, he runs away again. This time, the lion finds the perfect place to hide - and when trouble strikes, he becomes an unexpected local hero.

This delightful and warm-hearted story about the unusual friendship between a little girl and a not-so-scary lion is accompanied by characterful, colourful illustrations in Helen Stephens’s distinctively nostalgic style.