The Book Depository Leila and the Blue Fox by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
25 ratings
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Price: £13.98
Brand: The Book Depository
Description: Leila and the Blue Fox : Hardback : Hachette Children's Group : 9781510110274 : 1510110275 : 13 Oct 2022 : Come with an Arctic fox on a breathtaking journey. an enthralling story from the bestselling, award-winning creators of Julia and the Shark. With dazzling blue and black illustrations and presented as a deluxe hardback with tracing paper inserts, this is a perfect gift for 9+ fans of The Last Bear and A Wolf Called Wander. The Book Depository Leila and the Blue Fox by Kiran Millwood Hargrave - shop the best deal online on thebookbug.co.uk
Category: Books
Merchant: The Book Depository
Product ID: 9781510110274
MPN: 1510110275
GTIN: 9781510110274
Author: Nourished By Books
Rating: 5
Review: Kiran is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. Julia and the Shark left both my son and I longing for more and we have consumed Leila and The Blue Fox with just as much page turning wonder and awe thanks to the beautiful text and stunning illustrations. This beautiful and moving story is based on the true story of Anna the fox who travelled 2,743, miles over sea ice and glaciers l during a 76-day polar marathon. from Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard Archipelago of Norway, to Ellesmere Island in Nunavut, Canada. Climate change is manipulating their behaviour and dwindling sea ice will limit the range of these beautiful creature, risking populations becoming geographically and genetically isolated. Kiran cleverly takes the journey of a fox, Miso in this story and tells it parallel to the healing journey of a mother and daughter as they track the fox. Leila and her Mum fled fighting in Damascus . Upon arriving in the UK, Leila was left in the care of her Aunt and Cousin while her Mum took employment in Norway conducting scientific research. When Leila leaves the UK to see her Mum for the first time in six years, she never imagined they would be tracking a blue fox together, or that the journey would help her discover her Mum’s story and reasoning as they both heal from their own migration. Just like Misso the Blue Fox, Leila and Mum are often propelled by fear and longing. As Miso crosses territories and borders, Leila realises that everyone should have equal rights, irrespective of where they were born or fled from. This book is so compelling and powerful, it raises awareness about the harrowing journeys both people and animals make in order to survive. It also portrays the fragility of our planet and it’s inhabitants in a moving and awe inspiring manor. Leaving the reader able to feel the icy purity of the artic as they breathe deep into the wonderful book. I really hope that there’s a sequel to this book, where Mum and Leila discuss their own journey from Damascus and grow back into their familiar closeness.
Author: L. A. Hardy
Rating: 4
Review: This is a very attractive book, written by Kiran Millwood Hargrave and illustrated by her partner, Tom de Freston. The interior design is lovely, with tracing paper overlays scattered throughout, giving you blurred glimpses of what’s to come. Some of the design choices make the text hard to read in places, especially under artificial light (blue text on a similarly shaded blue background). Still, the story is a moving one. Leila, a Syrian refugee, travels to Norway to meet up with her meteorologist mother who she hasn’t seen in many years. Her mother’s research team then heads off on the trail of an unusually well-travelled arctic fox, with Leila in toe. During the trip, Leila has to face repressed memories of her flight from Syria, as well as deal with her conflicting emotions towards the mother who left her behind. The book touches on the plight of refugees and climate change in an accessible way for both adults and children. It’s not an easy read in places – and not just because of the design choices previously mentioned! Because of this, I’m not sure it is the perfect gift for every child. But it is a good introduction to its core themes, and the selected bibliography at the back gives plenty of ideas for what to read next.
