From bestselling author Kiran Millwood Hargrave and acclaimed illustrator Tom de Freston comes an extraordinary story about family, friendship and hope. Illustrated throughout in black, white and yellow, this stunning book is perfect for 9+ fans of David Almond, Sally Gardner and Frances Hardinge.
‘Stunning’ Cressida Cowell
‘A book to treasure!’ Jacqueline Wilson
‘A classic from cover to cover’ Eoin Colfer
‘A rich, immersive and wondrous journey’ Sophie Anderson
A remote island. A stormy summer. And an adventure as big as the Great Greenland shark …
My name is Julia.
This is the story of the summer I spent living in a lighthouse.
The summer I almost lost my mum, and found a shark older than trees.
Don’t worry though, that doesn’t spoil the ending …
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 and uplifting story about a mother, a daughter, and love – with timely themes of the importance of science and the environment.
‘Stunning’ Cressida Cowell
‘A book to treasure!’ Jacqueline Wilson
‘A classic from cover to cover’ Eoin Colfer
‘A rich, immersive and wondrous journey’ Sophie Anderson
A remote island. A stormy summer. And an adventure as big as the Great Greenland shark …
My name is Julia.
This is the story of the summer I spent living in a lighthouse.
The summer I almost lost my mum, and found a shark older than trees.
Don’t worry though, that doesn’t spoil the ending …
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 and 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
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.
Tom de Freston's stunning illustrations perfectly complement the poetry of Kiran Millwood Hargrave's story
Illustrated with dreamlike fluency
Captivating
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
What a gorgeous book - calm, funny, heartfelt, wise, full of the quiet and force of the sea
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!
A rich, immersive and wondrous journey, through deep darkness to hope and light
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
Beautifully written, sensitive exploration of mental illness, fear and families
A tale of courage, understanding and compassion
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
Julia and the Shark is deep, beautiful and true. The art shines and the writing soars. A classic from cover to cover.
A triumph
Such rich and vivid prose ... with beautiful illustrations by Tom de Freston