The Island Vet: Pirates and Sea Monsters

This charming story is the first in a new series from award-winning author Gill Lewis, introducing us to Tia, who has travelled to the island of Gull Haven for her vet mum’s new job. She is looking forward to spending more time with her mum, who previously had to work long hours and is also hoping that she might be allowed to eventually have her own pet. Almost as soon as they arrive on the island, Tia’s mum inundated by a hoard of eager pet owners who have been deprived of a vet for far too long. Tia is thrilled that she can help look after the animals and when her mum is called away to another nearby island and is unable to return home due to a big storm, Tia has to take on extra responsibility feeding the animals who are staying the surgery overnight.

With the unusual discovery of a mysterious creature washed up on the beach, Tia has plenty of stories to tell her mum when she returns and they realise that their new island life is going to be full of fun with many adventures to come.

Lewis’s love of the natural world shines through as always in her writing and this gentle heart-warming story is just the right introduction for animal-loving early readers. Barrington Stoke’s always accessible pages include beautiful character-filled illustrations from Avgustinovich. A delight of a book, with the second in the series due out later this summer.