The Faraway Island [Hardcover]

This engaging story about what it means to be happy, perfectly complemented by Daly's intricate illustrations, will appeal to children of five and above. Daily Telegraph The story is told simply and elegantly and there is effective use of dialogue to show the thoughts and feelings of the different characters. Books for Keeps Essentially a tale of the melting and mending of a heart. Our hardened sailor has given up on himself and needs to learn to trust others and see value in himself. By the end of the book our faith is duly restored in humanity and our ability to heal. Perseverance, forgiveness and belief are common themes in traditional and folk tales and that is not where the similarities with this book end. The text has a lyrical quality and would make a good oral story! please enjoy the book for its gentle illustrations that beautifully capture a different time. www.writeaway.org.uk What makes this story book special is the illustrations. Excecuted in bright blues, greens and golds, Jude Daly's delicate watercolour palates are a joy to behold. Bejewelled with dainty human figures, ornate interiors and animals and plants of every kind, they sparkle with vitality, and the innovative page layouts further enhance the reading experience. INIS Visually this is a lovely book, and the tale of the developing garden is one that can lead to discussion, and maybe even some gardening by young readers and their teachers or parents. School Librarian

When a sailor can't bear life on ship any more, he jumps overboard and swims to a big barren rock. There he cares for a half-drowned cockerel and plants rice, hiding away when a boat arrives. The sailors are amazed to see rice growing and keep coming back, leaving plants and game-birds, until the island bursts with tropical fruit and wildlife. But soon the Queen of Portugal hears about it and demands to meet the person responsible.

Dianne Hofmeyr grew up on the tip of Southern Africa. She graduated as an art teacher in Cape Town and has written several teenage novels and picture books. she has won the M-Net Award for fiction and has two IBBY Honour Books. To visit Dianne's website click here Jude Daly was born in London and emigrated to South Africa as a young child. She went to art college in Cape Town, and now lives there with her husband, the writer and illustrator Niki Daly, and their two sons. The Gift of the Sun, written by Dianne Stewart, was chosen as one of Child Education's Best Books of 1996 and The Elephant's Pillow, written by Diana Reynolds Roome, was awarded a U.S. Parents' Choice Silver Honour. Jude's other books for Frances Lincoln are The Little Blue Slipper, The Dove, The Stone, The Star Bearer, To Every Thing There is a Season, The Faraway Island, Let There be Peace and Lila and the Secret of Rain.