Dandy the Highway Lion by Stephanie Sorrell

He enlists the duo on a mission to release his friends kept captive by exotic animal collectors.

Dandy is a professional highway lion, keen to rob those that have mistreated animals. But this character comes with a perilous secret. Never without a tailored waistcoat, top hat or luxuriously styled mane, Dandy is charismatic and has an air of aristocracy about him. Going by the name of Mr Dandy Paws, their new feline friend is refined and sophisticated. Their countryside home in Derbyshire is calling them back, that is, until they make acquaintances with a mysterious talking lion in the park.

This is magical realism at its best - perfect for adventure lovers, animal lovers and those drawn to the dangerous enigma of highwaymen.Brother and sister, Ben and Hattie, are sick of their new house in London. Sorrell shows rather than tells, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions on the subject but the result is hugely thought-provoking and there is a great twist at the end. Not only does Sorrell hold humans to account over their treatment of wild creatures, she raises a discussion around animals kept in captivity, one that the animal characters contribute to through their voices on the page. In the same way Dandy sits at the centre of the story, so does animal welfare. Postlethwaite's plain but dogged determination which complimented Dandy's flamboyance and posed a permanent lingering threat similar to a unmoving grey raincloud.ĭespite being a fun, roguish adventure, Stephanie's Sorrell's novel tackles big themes. Leonard is a brilliant, sheepish sidekick while Dandy's bear friend will melt your heart. However, Dandy isn't the only stand-out character by any means. Naturally Ben and Hattie are over the moon at landing a lion as a best friend because what child wouldn't want a lion as a best friend?

Debonair Dandy leaps off the page with flair and panache - a loveable rogue (or he is?) who develops an endearing and rather humorous friendship with two young children. But Dandy is a highway lion on a mission and soon Ben and Hattie are caught up in dangerous adventure whilst trying to avoid a Private Investigator who is determined to sniff out the identity of the highway lion and bring him to justice.įor me, this immediately had the feel of a timeless classic with a larger-than-life character at its centre. Dandy Paws, an unlikely friendship blooms between them.

But when they meet a gentlemanly lion in the park called Mr. Taking me back to my own childhood favourites such as Mary Poppins and Peter Pan, with a dose of The Tiger Who Came To Tea mixed in, this 1920's novel, set in London, is an absolute delight.īen and Hattie are struggling to adjust to their new life in London. One of our favourite reads of 2023 so far, Dandy, The Highway Lion by Stephanie Sorrell, illustrated by Roxana de Rond and published by Chicken House is wonderfully old-fashioned storytelling.

Dandy the Highway Lion by Stephanie Sorrell