THE LION WHO HAD ASTHMA

``Sean is a lion roaring in the jungle...At suppertime, he's a GIANT munching trees.'' Each double spread shows a lively little boy at the left (the trees are broccoli) and the vibrant creature he imagines himself to be at the right. When Sean begins to cough, the lion looks doleful and mystified, ``tired and a little bit frightened.'' But Sean's special treatment (medicine administered with a nebulizer, as a note for parents explains) sets him free by letting him breathe; now he's a jet pilot, who flies back to the jungle and becomes a lion again. For children who have asthma, or know someone who has it, this cheerful book should be reassuring; creative enough to be fun, it's still clear enough to be useful, while Sean's calm, sensible parents set a fine example. Westcott's colorful, lightly sketched illustrations deftly express Sean's feelings through his own body language and that of his animal friends. (Picture book. 2-7)