Available Formats
When the Sky Falls: Graphic Novel
By (Author) Phil Earle
By (author) Fred Fordham
Illustrated by Fred Fordham
Andersen Press Ltd
Andersen Press Ltd
1st October 2025
United Kingdom
Children
Fiction
Childrens / Teenage general interest: Cartoons and comic strips
Childrens / Teenage fiction: Nature and animal stories
Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: Death and grief
Second World War fiction
Paperback
240
Width 165mm, Height 208mm
A stunning graphic-novel edition of the multi-award-winning story about the incredible friendship between a young boy and a silverback gorilla during the Second World War, inspired by a true story. 1941. War is raging. And Joseph has been sent to live in the city, where bombers rule the skies. There, he will live with Mrs F, a gruff woman with no fondness for children. Her only loves are the rundown zoo she owns and its mighty silverback gorilla, Adonis. As the weeks pass, Joseph and Adonis become friends, but what will happen when the bombers set him rampaging free Winner of the British Book Award for Children's Fiction Book of the Year. A magnificent story... It deserves every prize going Philip Pullman An extraordinary story... Deeply felt, movingly written, a remarkable achievement Michael Morpurgo
"A beautiful and luminous interpretation of a modern classic, this is a magnificent achievement" * Chris Riddell *
"A stunning rendering of a powerful, classic, story. This graphic novel evokes the epic mood, colours and atmosphere of World War II blitz times, whilst also communicating the subtle, delicate, detail of incredible and complex relationships. Together, Earle and Fordham have created a masterpiece" * MG Leonard *
"Its wonderful to see this fine story in such a brilliant new incarnation" * David Almond *
"Phil Earle's When The Sky Falls is already a stunning story, just stunning, as beautifully told as it is utterly moving, but combined with Fred Fordham's artwork every heartbeat now hits even harder. This is storytelling at its absolute finest, art and story combined into an incredible emotional journey. This new version is a brand new classic, no question about it." * Jamie Smart *
Phil Earle (Author) Born and raised in the north of England, Phil Earle is the author of numerous acclaimed, award-winning books for children and teenagers. He has worked as a carer, a dramatherapist, a bookseller and a publisher, and loves talking at schools and festivals around the world. His novel When The Sky Falls won the Books Are My Bag Readers Award and the British Book Award for Childrens Fiction. He lives on the side of a very steep hill with his wife, their five children and two dogs. Fred Fordham (Author, Illustrator) Fred Fordham has written and illustrated for various publications. This includes adapting and illustrating the graphic novel version of Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird, adapting F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby, again for a graphic novel, and illustrating Philip Pullmans debut graphic novel The Adventures of John Blake: Mystery of the Ghost Ship.