Julia And The Shark

Shortlisted for the James Cropper Wainwright Prize for Children's Writing on Nature & Conservation 2022

When her father is required to repair an old lighthouse on a remote island, Julia finds herself on a strange and magical summer holiday. Her mother becomes increasingly determined to find the great Greenland shark – an awesome yet elusive creature that soon fills Julia’s thoughts as well. But when her mother’s determination tips over into obsession, Julia is forced to dive into an adventure with hidden depths and turbulent emotional currents which threatens to submerge them all.

A timeless story of family, hope and environmental crisis.

With breathtaking black, white and yellow illustrations created using the ashes from the fire that destroyed de Freston's studio, Julia and the Shark is both a testament to artistic rebirth and an exquisite reflection on family, science and the fragile yet sublime beauty of the environment. Intoxicating and impossible to put down, it is a future classic whose beauty and heart will resound for generations.