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Kaley McKean Books

Dive down if you dare and discover the world’s strangest, scariest and most magnificent sea creatures in this breathtaking gift book from the University of Cambridge and Nosy Crow!

“Ralphs’ exciting prose style, combined with great facts and images that really glow, makes for a view of the ocean that you’ll be glad you can’t see from a sun lounger this holiday” – The Guardian.

Did you know there is a place on Earth that’s hardly been explored at all? A place with near-freezing temperatures, crushing water pressure and total darkness?

Discover a magnificent menagerie of monsters that lurk deep down in our oceans – from sharks that can live for 500 years, to fish with teeth so long they can’t close their mouths.

Find out about anglerfish, giant squid, goblin sharks, coffinfish, barreleyes and many, many more amazing creatures in this stunningly illustrated gift book that will delight, surprise and inspire on every page.

With awe-inspiring artwork from Kaley McKean and atmospheric, engaging text by Matt Ralphs, created in consultation with marine biologist Dr Helen Scales alongside Dr Roz Wade from the Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge.

Special neon inks throughout
High-quality, sustainable paper
Multi-embossed cover
The perfect gift for any child aged 7+ with an interest in marine biology and zoology

Aya has always loved stars ever since she can remember and is extremely excited when the Perseids meteor shower is supposed to happen right by her house. Aya and her best friend (Naznen) plan to sneak out in the middle of the night to see the meteor shower up close. Their plan is going well but just as they start to enjoy watching the stars, Aya gets struck by a shooting star, and this is where her simple life starts to unravel as she develops special star powers which are beyond her control.

At the yearly royal ball, on a quest to find someone to cure Aya of her powers, Aya and her mother witness the royal family being taken hostage and the evil Abnus takes over the region of Alferra and she is looking for the star’s power with the help of the bhoot monsters. Will Aya be able to defeat the evil and fulfil the prophecy before being consumed by her own powers?

This story takes its origins from Bengali folklore, which shines through in different ways as you read the story. The story is easy to read and very hard to put down as the story starts to unravel and you start to learn the secrets of Alferra and Aya’s family. The story starts to take a dark turn when Aya and Abnus meet up towards the end and the story reaches a dramatic – if a little scary – crescendo that will keep readers hooked.

The book draws on the author’s South Asian cultural heritage, It was enjoyable to read and there are black and white illustrations dotted throughout the pages. Upper Key Stage 2 children will enjoy listening to this as a class reader.

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