The bright, eye-catching cover of the picturebook, ‘Stranded! A mostly true story’ draws the reader in with humour and kept me guessing throughout about which part was not true. It is a unique, ‘mostly’ true story about the beautiful country of Iceland and a volcano, based on the experiences of the author’s grandfather and the Icelandic volcanoes at Surtsey.

I learnt lots of new information about Iceland and the illustrations were outstanding. As the story progresses, the reader is kept guessing right until the very end and there is a lovely twist that I do not think many would guess!

This is a perfect book for anyone who likes to learn about volcanoes and this real-life account also is complemented by a section about ‘Surtsey’ the World Heritage Site (which this story is about) and lots of information about volcanoes, as well as ‘Did You Know?’ and links to the Gods of Norse Mythology. For this short book, there is something for everyone; it is a gem!