Julia and the Shark
On sale
2nd September 2021
Price: £12.99
A captivating, powerful and luminous story from a bestselling, award-winning author about a mother, a daughter, and the great Greenland shark. With mesmerising black and yellow illustrations and presented as a deluxe hardback with tracing paper inserts, this is a perfect gift for 9+ fans of David Almond and Frances Hardinge.
‘Such rich and vivid prose … with beautiful illustrations by Tom de Freston’ New York Times
‘Tom de Freston’s stunning illustrations perfectly complement the poetry of Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s story’ Cressida Cowell
‘A truly beautiful book, with text and illustrations in perfect harmony. A book to treasure!’ Jacqueline Wilson
‘Julia and the Shark is deep, beautiful and true. The art shines and the writing soars – a classic from cover to cover’ Eoin Colfer
‘A rich, immersive and wondrous journey, through deep darkness to hope and light’ Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs
The shark was beneath my bed, growing large as the room, large as the lighthouse, rising from unfathomable depths until it ripped the whole island from its roots. The bed was a boat, the shark a tide, and it pulled me so far out to sea I was only a speck, a spot, a mote, a dying star in an unending sky…
Julia has followed her mum and dad to live on a remote island for the summer – her dad, for work; her mother, on a determined mission to find the elusive Greenland shark. But when her mother’s obsession threatens to submerge them all, Julia finds herself on an adventure with dark depths and a lighthouse full of hope…
A beautiful, lyrical, uplifting story about a mother, a daughter, and love – with timely themes of the importance of science and the environment.
‘Such rich and vivid prose … with beautiful illustrations by Tom de Freston’ New York Times
‘Tom de Freston’s stunning illustrations perfectly complement the poetry of Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s story’ Cressida Cowell
‘A truly beautiful book, with text and illustrations in perfect harmony. A book to treasure!’ Jacqueline Wilson
‘Julia and the Shark is deep, beautiful and true. The art shines and the writing soars – a classic from cover to cover’ Eoin Colfer
‘A rich, immersive and wondrous journey, through deep darkness to hope and light’ Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs
The shark was beneath my bed, growing large as the room, large as the lighthouse, rising from unfathomable depths until it ripped the whole island from its roots. The bed was a boat, the shark a tide, and it pulled me so far out to sea I was only a speck, a spot, a mote, a dying star in an unending sky…
Julia has followed her mum and dad to live on a remote island for the summer – her dad, for work; her mother, on a determined mission to find the elusive Greenland shark. But when her mother’s obsession threatens to submerge them all, Julia finds herself on an adventure with dark depths and a lighthouse full of hope…
A beautiful, lyrical, uplifting story about a mother, a daughter, and love – with timely themes of the importance of science and the environment.
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Reviews
Julia and the Shark is deep, beautiful and true. The art shines and the writing soars. A classic from cover to cover.
INCREDIBLE. Poignant and lyrical and beautiful, it's my favourite of Kiran's books so far and that is saying something. Tom's stunning artwork just brings it to a whole other level
What a gorgeous book - calm, funny, heartfelt, wise, full of the quiet and force of the sea
Beautifully written, sensitive exploration of mental illness, fear and families
This beautifully illustrated book proves that picture books are not only for the youngest readers. The black and white sketches are deliberately highlighted with yellow accents that light up the pages in some places, and delicate tracing paper inserts make images shift when you turn them, emphasising the lurking shark. This is a powerful story of love, family and fighting to keep your head above water.
There are no wasted words in this book. Like a seashell, or a flying bird, it is uncluttered and vital. The illustrations, by Tom de Freston, are mesmerising. I loved it.
Illustrated with dreamlike fluency
Truly extraordinary. Julia and the Shark is contemporary MG at its best but with a hint of the fantastic. It is the kind of book that you will want to have on your shelves and treasure
A beautifully written, moving exploration of family, friendship and mental health, with exquisite illustrations by de Freston
A truly beautiful book, with text and illustrations in perfect harmony. A book to treasure!
Such rich and vivid prose ... with beautiful illustrations by Tom de Freston
Captivating
A tale of courage, understanding and compassion
A triumph
A rich, immersive and wondrous journey, through deep darkness to hope and light
Tom de Freston's stunning illustrations perfectly complement the poetry of Kiran Millwood Hargrave's story
I fell in love with the tale itself, the setting (I do love a lighthouse!), the characters and the little details - it's a beautiful, forceful storm of a book