Leila and the Blue Fox: An enthralling, uplifting adventure story from the creators of JULIA AND THE SHARK

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She’s a graduate of both Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and lives in Oxford with her husband and cats, in a house between a river and a forest. Leila travelling to Norway to reunite with her mother while Miso, a blue fox, journeys across a continent. Although the illustrations in this copy of the book were in black and white, I can’t wait to see them alive in blue and grey, and with the tracing paper pages added. Still, in general, the book is excellent, full of different morals dealing with mother-daughter relationships, migration, rescuing animals, and preserving the planet. Bookwagon recommends Leila and the Blue Fox wholeheartedly, especially for mature middle grade readers.

She started writing poetry in her final year at university, producing three poetry books and a play before she turned to fiction.

The world's changing so fast, and all animals were suffering - people as well as polar bears and Arctic foxes. It is a fantastic read, which brought a tear to my eye, and will leave me talking about it until the author and illustrator release their next wonderful book together. Much of the artwork for ‘Julia and the Shark’ was made using these materials, as an act of mourning, transformation and repair. Leila and the Blue Fox is an easy recommendation for me; if you’ve read and loved Julia and the Shark , you’ll be sure to love Leila’s story aswell.

I came across her children’s novels last summer when my granddaughter, then 10, told me that her favourite book was A Girl of Ink and Stars. Like Julia’s, Leila’s story begins with a scientist mother chasing the endangered animal she studies, and a daughter chasing after the connection with her mother she feels she’s losing. De Freston’s visuals complement Millwood Hargrave’s writing by adding depth of character and emotion. But the ice is melting; its food is growing scarce, and finally the piece of land it is standing on breaks away. She also clearly addresses the role social media plays in such narratives, looking at the way information is spread and the way that people are motivated and spurred into action.It combined Kiran’s powerful storytelling with Tom’s beautiful monochromatic illustrations with a single accent colour to create one of the best and most memorable middle-grade novels I’ve read recently.

In 2019 scientists of the Norwegian Polar Institute fitted a young fox with a GPS device which tracked its journey across the ice from Svalbard to Greenland.There she finds what her mother is passionate about - a small blue fox and the story of the different migrations become entwined. Her first book for adults, The Mercies, debuted as The Times number 1 bestseller, and at number 5 in the Sunday Times Bestseller Charts. Since asylum can be a confusing issue for children (and even adults), here are some books that explore what it really means to flee your home and have to start your life over. These poetic prescriptions and wise words of advice offer comfort, delight and inspiration for all; a space for reflection, and that precious realization - I'm not the only one who feels like this.