Orion Children's Books Julia and the Shark

A beautifully illustrated story about a family who move to Scotland - Dad is fixing a lighthouse while Mum is hunting for the elusive Greenland Shark, rumoured to be 400 years old. It was a lovely story of family and a child living with a parent struggling with their mental health - not an easy book to read but such an important topic.

I loved this book and looked forward to reading it each evening. Not always comfortable but beautifully written and illustrated.

Ideal prize for attendance/attainment pupil

Truly impressed from the very first page.

Ok, so before even getting to the written story I just have to mention how absolutely gorgeous this book is. Julia and the Shark is full of stunning art, the grayscale and yellow theme is beautiful, I've always loved those two colours together. Even after finishing this book I can see it being one I pick up regularly just to flick through the beautiful illustrations.Onto the story, this follows our main character Julia who along with her parents and cat Noodle, heads off to the Shetlands during the summer holiday so her father can fix the light in a lighthouse and her marine biologist mother can be close to the ocean and her goal of finding a Greenland shark.First of all, I love how informative this book was. I'm an adult and I learned loads of interesting facts about Greenland sharks, there's also a focus on space and stars which makes this book really interesting and genuinely teaches the reader about multiple things while being wrapped up in a story about family and friendship with a hint of mystical flare thrown in.Another thing Julia and the Shark doesn't shy away from is showing how turbulent life can be. While on one had we're thrust into a world of exploration and wonder, we also see the cracks in relationships, whether that be from Julia's new friend Kin and his bullies, or her parents having hushed arguments in another room that she inevitably witnesses. The book does take a darker turn and also brings in mental health, but it's written in a fantastic way, and although it does get heavy, this would be a brilliant book for youngsters to learn about such topics as all the darkness is always proceeded by the light.I feel like this book could be appreciated by all age groups, and the reading experience is truly a joy, with the words and images working so well together.