Lionboy by Zizou Corder

Charlie Ashanti seems like an ordinary boy—until his parents, brilliant scientists, are kidnapped. On the run and alone, Charlie discovers his astonishing gift: he can speak the language of cats. With the help of a pride of lions escaped from a floating circus, he embarks on a daring journey across Europe and Africa to rescue his parents from a powerful corporation that will stop at nothing to control their groundbreaking invention. Lionboy is an exhilarating adventure of courage, loyalty, and the bond between humans and animals, set in a vividly imagined world where one boy’s voice can change everything.