The Hunt for the Nightingale
UK Publisher
Simon & Schuster Children's UK
US Publisher
Kane Miller
Date Published
January 20th, 2022
Translations
Billy Bones (Dutch) Little Urban (French) Sitruuna Kustannus (Finnish) Loewe (German) Guangxi Normal University Press (Chinese Simplified) Editorial Casals (Spanish) Lithuanian (Alma Littera)
Discover the healing power of nature in one boy’s heartbreaking and hopeful journey back from the wilderness.
Bird fact no. 30: a nightingale song is one of the most beautiful sounds on the planet.
Ten-year-old Jasper has been waiting all spring for his beloved nightingale to return to his garden and sing. But it’s not there, and neither is his sister, Rosie. His parents seem sad and preoccupied, so gathering his courage, his backpack and his treasured Book of Birds, Jasper sets out alone on a walk to find them both. The expedition takes Jasper through town and country, meeting a host of characters who are also searching for lost things. Helping his new friends, Jasper begins to see that he may not find what he is looking for when he reaches the journey’s end, but even in the darkest of moments, a nightingale’s song can be heard somewhere.
A love letter to the natural world, Sarah Ann Juckes’ stunning middle grade novel, illustrated by the award-winning Sharon King-Chai will have you turning the last page with tears in your eyes and a heart full of hope. For fans of Pax, Wonder and Wild Child.
Reviews
A beautifully written novel, pervaded with bittersweet and complex internal conflict.
illed with beautiful illustrations and bird facts, this moving book addresses the complexities of sudden death for middle grade readers who will be drawn to the heartfelt characters and adventure plot.
An incredibly moving story of feeling lost and finding your way again
- Lisa Thompson, author of Rollercoaster Boy
A beautifully realised story . . . tender and hopeful
- Bookseller Editor’s Choice
A clever, gentle adventure with a masterful plot that deals with the difficult subject of grief so poignantly
- Emma Carroll, author of The Week at World’s End
Will break your heart and mend it together again
- Piers Torday, author of The Last Wild
Full of hope, beauty & ultimately a healing song to nature
- Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear
This poignant exploration of grief and denial seen through the eyes of a child is underpinned by lessons about kindness, acceptance and nature
- Daily Mail
Brave, unforgettable and beautiful
- Lauren St John, author of The White Giraffe
A stunning tale echoing fables of old that paints a portrait of grief with the lightest of touches
- Aisha Bushby, author of A Pocketful of Star