‘[My mum] wrote a very long essay about a whale that goes around the world alone because it sings at a different frequency to the other whales. It can hear them, but they can’t hear it. I understand a little how that whale feels.’

I love this book. It’s about so many things. About finding the ones that are swimming on your wavelength, for example. But it’s also about mental health, love in all forms, darkness and kicking towards the light. 

Julia and the Shark is reminiscent of A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness in the sense that a child goes through something difficult regarding a parent, and has to find their way in dealing with the emotions and fear that this brings. Both books combine amazing storytelling with art, a lot is represented by nature and both authors take children, their feelings and their ability to understand things seriously. No sugarcoating here.

Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom de Freston created made
something special.