Piers Torday began his career in theatre and then television as a producer and writer. His first book for children, ‘The Last Wild’, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Award and nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal. His second book, ‘The Dark Wild’, won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. ‘There May Be A Castle’ was a People’s Book Award finalist and a Times Children’s Book of the Year. ‘The Lost Magician’ was a Book of the Year in six national newspapers and won the Teach Primary Book Award. The follow up, ‘The Frozen Sea’, was published in 2019. Piers has also completed an unfinished novel by his late father Paul (author of ‘Salmon Fishing in the Yemen’, ‘The Death of an Owl’) and adapted ‘The Box of Delights’ and ‘A Christmas Carol’ for the stage. Photo credit: © James Betts, 2020
This is a story about a boy named Kester. He is extraordinary, but he doesn’t know that yet. All he knows, at this very moment, is this:
1. There is a flock of excited pigeons in his bedroom.
2. They are talking to him.
3. His life will never be quite the same again…
Kester lives in a land in quarantine. A deadly virus has killed all the animals except pests and it’s expected to be equally dangerous to humans. But when Kester realises he can talk to the pests, he finds they have great hope invested in him. A captivating animal adventure destined to be loved by readers of all ages.
One frosty winter’s night, a pure white calf is born on an ordinary muddy farm by the light of a silver moon. This is the legendary Mooncalf, whose arrival has been foretold since the dawn of time. According to a dream passed down from animal to animal, if the calf dies, a great terribleness will come – rising seas, a plague, skies raining down fire, the end of all things… and Little Hare vows to persuade all the animals to protect Mooncalf, whatever the cost. But it’s easier said than done, and soon Little Hare realises that he is the only one who can save the world… ‘The Wild Before’ is a stunning prequel to the award-winning, bestselling The Last Wild trilogy, touching on timely themes of climate change, friendship, and above all, hope.
‘Piers Torday is the new master of books for children’ – The Times
‘An excellent, punchy adventure tale with vivid characters and an impassioned eco message.’ –The Financial Times
‘Written in vivid and urgent style … As thrilling as James and the Giant Peach … The Last Wild may be as critical to the new generation as Tarka the Otter.’ – The Times
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