'Magnus had a hat and a sword' and with them he feels 'big and strong, bold and fearless.' But there is evil in Magnus's life because when he goes to sleep at night, he finds there is a 'Shadowman' in a deep, dark forest, and he is after Marcus's hat and sword. This scares him so much that he wakes frightened, and Mum comes to administer a hug. She explains that the Shadowman isn't real, but as he is real to Magnus, this isn't a lot of help; Magnus is still quite sure that the Shadowman is very real indeed. When Grandma arrives the next day, she brings along a toy lion for Magnus and tells him, 'Everyone needs a lion sometimes...especially in the dark.' But lions also need help - such as lots of food and a cave to stay in and 'a knight to be its best friend'. These Magnus is happy to provide, and that night he cuddles up with his lion and together they share a wonderful experience, riding through the dark woods, Magnus wearing his hat and sword and the lion roaring, chasing away the Shadowman. When Dad comes to see what is causing all the noise, Magnus says that it's okay because he and his lion have vanquished the evil man and have become 'mighty, especially in the dark'. This is a tender and understanding way of dealing with fears, and the illustrations are quite, quite beautiful with blackness where needed and light and joy where not. Wonderful!