Author:Chris Smith
'A laugh-out-loud funny and exciting adventure!' Cressida Cowell
From the incredible imagination of Chris Smith -bestselling author and now a major new solo talent - comes an extraordinary accidental adventure for fans of Cressida Cowell and Pixar's Onward.
Frankie Best is not happy.
She's stuck at Grandad's with her annoyingly nerdy brother Joel for a whole week while her parents swan off to the Arctic.
Things take a turn for the worse when Grandad gets kidnapped by gnoblins (no, that is not spelt incorrectly) forcing Frankie to embark on a rescue mission across a magical realm filled with strange creatures, dangerous enemies and - worst of all - absolutely no WiFi.
Frankie did have big plans to watch YouTube and eat pot noodles that weekend but it looks like she'll just have to go on an epic mega-dangerous quest instead . . .
This simple, beautiful fable has captured the imaginations of both adults and children ever since it was first published in the 1940s. Now considered a contemporary classic, it is a book to share and to treasure.
—— BooktrustA richly imagined, thrilling adventure sparkling with things that inspire no matter what millennium you live in: determination, courage and love.
—— Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and ArtA perfect wintry read
—— L. D. LapinskiAn epic icy adventure with a warming tale of sisterhood at its heart.
—— Maria Kuzniar, author of The Ship of ShadowsAn ice prism of beauty. Every way I look at it, I love this book from the crystalline brilliance of its surface to its tender, glowing heart. Wonderfully interpreted and illumined by Marco Guadalupi.
—— Zillah Bethell, author of The Shark CallerGlittering with frost and tingling with magic, this story of sisters separated by time is heart-warming, adventurous and thought-provoking. I loved the icy Siberian setting and the shifts in time between the early 20th Century and the pre-historic - the worlds of Bela and of Ren-ya are both exquisitely drawn and utterly believable. I found myself rooting for each of the sisters and utterly entwined by the ancient magic that bonds them together. An enchanting debut from Helenka Stachera - I can't wait to read what she writes next!
Catherine Doyle has done the impossible - she has breathed new life into this much loved and oft retold story, sprinkling it with her inimitable warmth, charm, and humour. This vividly exciting and poignant retelling made me believe in magic as fervently as I did when I was a child. It is, to my mind, destined to become a Christmas classic
—— Louise O'NeillA charming reimagining of one of my favourite childhood reads, managing to be both heart-warmingly familiar, and refreshingly new at the same time. It's filled with miracle-making curiosities, a delightfully bonkers cast, a purple reindeer with a grudge, and a quest to mend two very broken hearts. All-in-all, a magical whirlwind of an adventure filled with heart, hilarity, and miraculous mayhem
—— Hana TookeDelightfully festive . . . Warm, imaginative, and brimming with Christmas magic
—— Carlie SorosiakThis reimagining of A Christmas Carol is simply spellbinding
—— iNewsThis is a beautiful, magical adventure
—— Tricia Adams , Lovereading4kidsA dazzling feat of imagination. Enchanting: I was bewitched
—— Saga MagazineCatherine Doyle's delightful novel moves deftly from melancholy to "jolly holly", genial all the way
—— Financial TimesAn instant Christmas classic
—— The Irish TimesAction-packed, full of imagination...uplifting
—— The Independent