They say “worse things happen at sea”. But what if you are at sea?
What if you’re at sea in a tiny boat with a big smelly bear? And the only food you have left is a sandwich that is so old and mouldy that it glows in the moonlight? And the bear says something about sea monsters but you just don’t know whether he’s joking or not?

Yes, what then? Well, one of the things that you might not expect to come out of such a predicament is wave after wave of laughter. But Dave Shelton has managed to do just that. A Boy and a Bear in a Boat is a book like no other; a story which, in its bare bones, could be utterly bleak: a young boy is lost at sea, with no compass, no food and (seemingly) no chance. But Shelton’s masterful prose transforms this premise into a brilliantly funny and tender tale of friendship. While some of life’s problems are beyond our control, others may seem less worrisome if only you have a cup of tea, a ukulele and a bit of wishful thinking.

This book is rather different from anything we have published before. It is over three hundred pages long and Dave has illustrated it throughout, with several pages of beautiful full colour.

The unique humour of the story also meant that it was tricky coming up with the right cover look. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m delighted to announce that we’ve just signed up a fantastic new trilogy by debut author Tim Hall!

The first book of the trilogy, Shadow of the Wolf, is set in Sherwood Forest in medieval England. However, if you think you know the story then think again. Tim Hall presents a Robin Hood more heroic and horrific than ever before: a blind, ruthless assassin and elemental creature of the forest. Fourteen-year-old Robin may not be able to see, but he learns to understand every sound that the forest makes – the heartbeat of a nearby bird, the sound of a deer drinking from a stream, the gentle rustle of an enemy boot passing through the foliage…

We don’t want to give too much away right now, but here’s a sneaky peek of what’s to come:

So many tales have already been told of Robin Hood. Already he’s the hero with a thousand faces.

First, forget everything you’ve heard. Robin was no prince, and he was no dispossessed lord; he didn’t fight in the Crusades; he never gave a penny to the poor.

His real name wasn’t even Robin Hood. Marian called him that as a kind of joke. Sir Robin of the Hood. A name Robin would cling to when he was losing grip of everything else.  Mind you, one thing you’ve heard is true. He was blind.

No, that’s not right. Let me put that another way. Truer to say, Robin Hood didn’t see with his eyes. In fact he was the only one who saw clearly in this place of illusion and lies.

Tim has previously worked as a news journalist, and this is his first book for young adults. Packed full of dark drama and unexpected plot twists, Shadow of the Wolf is an absolute page turner that will have teenage readers clamouring for its sequel. When the manuscript came in, I read it all in one sitting and couldn’t put it down. We’re all very excited to be working with Tim on this fantastic new project.

Watch this space!

Hello everybody!

I just thought I would write to introduce myself – I’m Kirsten, and I’m going to be working here at DFB until the end of the year. I will be covering Hannah’s position, as she has just had a baby! We are all very excited and happy for Hannah.

I’m thrilled to be starting here, as I have been a fan of DFB books for a long time. I recently read Kenneth Oppel’s brilliant new novel Half Brother and haven’t been able to stop talking about it (not least because my own brother sometimes acts a bit like a chimp)! Oppel explores the relationship between men and other primates from a wonderfully fresh perspective, and asks difficult questions about the ethics of keeping animals in captivity and using them for scientific research. Many of us know that chimpanzees (like Zan) are the closest living relative to humans, but did you know any of these facts about primates?

• Apart from humans, Chimpanzees use tools more than any other animal
• Monkeys eat bananas in the same way that we do – they peel them, and don’t eat the skin
• Gorillas can catch human colds
• Each gorilla has a unique nose print – a bit like our human fingerprints!

Just how different are we?

If you haven’t already picked up the book, I would strongly recommend it.