The Lost Whale

(Paperback)

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Description

The enchanting second novel from the author of The Last Bear: the bestselling debut hardback of 2021 and The Times Childrens Book of the Week, winner of the Waterstones Childrens Book Prize and the Blue Peter Book Award
An irresistible ocean-loving yarn The Times

Winner of the Edward Stanford Childrens Travel Book of the Year 2023

THEIR BOND COULD SET THEM FREE . . .

Rio has been sent to live with a grandmother he barely knows in California, while his mum is in hospital. All Rio wants is for Mum to get better so he can return home. But everything changes when he joins a whale-watching trip and meets White Beak, a gentle giant of the sea. Rio forms an instant bond with the whale, and for the first time in ages he feels a spark of hope. Then White Beak goes missing and Rio may be the only person who can help.

Can Rio draw on their special connection to somehow find and save his whale . . .

Perfect for readers of 8+, beautifully illustrated throughout by Levi Pinfold

Reviews

From the author of the bestselling The Last Bear comes another engrossing tale that blends ecological awareness with deftly plotted adventure Waterstones, Books of the Year 2022

If you know any little ones curious about the world, then this tale of a young boy who bonds with a whale and grows by learning about its life and environment is a beautifully illustrated and touching read Wanderlust

The Last Bear, Hannah Golds award-winning debut, explored the intense connection between animal and child that can help with expressing pain and anxiety and The Lost Whale reprises that theme Daily Mail

A winning book from a master storyteller Irish Independent

Unforgettable highly accomplished animal adventure about the connection between a boy and a whale, with strong ecological themes Fiona Noble Bookseller

A powerful and deeply moving story Daily Mail

The authors passion for the natural world currently under threat makes their book outstanding New Statesman, Best Childrens Books of the Year

Lyrical page-turner Observer

An irresistible, ocean-loving yarn The Times

Simply beautiful tender, heartfelt and hopeful with such crystal-clear storytelling. . . Rio and White Beaks story will stay with me for a long time Sophie Kirtley, author of The Wild Way Home

Beautifully crafted story of hope and healing Katie Heap, Scope for Imagination

Magnificent! The Lost Whale will lift your heart as high as the ocean is deep Piers Torday, author of The Last Wild

The most spellbinding read. I raced through this book, completely engrossed in Rio and his quest to find White Beak. My book of the year so far Nizrana Farook, author of The Girl Who Stole an Elephant

Author Bio

Hannah Gold worked in the film and magazine industries before taking time out to pursue her dream of writing. She lives in Lincolnshire with her tortoise, her cat and her husband. The Last Bear is her middle-grade debut. Levi Pinfold's debut, The Django, won the Book Trust Best New Illustrator award and his second standalone picture book, Black Dog, was awarded the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal for excellence in children's book illustration. This was followed by Greenling, which won the UKLA Picture Book Award. Levi has recently turned his considerable talents to illustrating fiction for older readers, creating exquisite pieces for the twentieth-anniversary special editions of the Harry Potter series and working with author A. F. Harrold on The Song from Somewhere Else, which went on to win the Amnesty Honour at the 2018 CILIP Kate Greenaway Awards. He currently lives in NSW, Australia.