The Boy Who Lost His Spark

The new children’s book from multi-award-winning author of Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell, paired once more with Daniela Terrazzini’s stunning illustrations.

When Jem and his family move to the countryside, he doesn’t like his new home one bit. It’s an old cottage on the side of a hill, where strange things keep happening: shoes are filled up with conkers, the stairs become tangled in a woollen maze. Jem’s sister Verity is certain it is the work of a “nouka”, an ancient creature from local folklore that lives deep down inside the hill. Jem, however, is adamant that there is no such thing.
But this small mythical creature, so attuned to the hearts and minds of others, does exist. And, what’s more, it is determined, through mischief and mayhem, to help Jem reignite the spark within himself once more.

"an autumnal balm for anyone in need of a little magic in their lives." -- Alex O'Connell children's book of the week, the Times
"Expert storytelling conjures up an unhappy boy whose little sister believes in naughty magical creatures. It suggests that a bit of wild behaviour can be cheering.” ‘Watch Out For’ for children’s fiction in the Sunday Times
Traditional in its style, this beautiful book will tug at the heart of any reader regardless of age. […] No one would be unhappy after seeing the stunning illustrations that accompany this extraordinary story. Sunday Times, “The 60 children’s books you should buy this Christmas as chosen by the booksellers of Ireland”
a tender story […] Jaglenka Terrazzini’s illustrations sit at the book’s intersection of mythical intrigue and emotional turmoil. ‘The next chapter in children’s picture books’, Financial Times
"A gentle, empowering tale with entrancing illustrations.” Daily Mail

Maggie O'Farrell is an award-winning Irish-British author. Her books for adults have received international acclaim; she has won the Betty Trask Award for her debut novel After You'd Gone, the Somerset Maugham Award in 2005 for The Distance Between Us, the 2013 Costa Novel Award for The Hand That First Held Mine, the 2020 Waterstones Book of the Year Award and the 2020 Women's Fiction Prize for Hamnet, and her non-fiction book I Am I Am I Am reached number 1 on the Sunday Times bestseller list. Where Snow Angels Go was her first book for children, and it won the Indie Book of the Month. Find her online at maggieofarrell.com

Daniela Terrazzini studied Fine Art in Milan and moved to London to study Photography at The London College of Printing. She is now an illustrator of both detailed paintings and graphic surface patterns. She has illustrated Where Snow Angels Go by Maggie O'Farrell, The Night I Met Father Christmas by Ben Miller and The Seeing Stitch by Jane Yolan. Follow her on Twitter as @DJTerrazzini and Instagram as @danielajterrazzini.

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