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The Island of the Bees

By Patricia Forde
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Brief Description
An epic adventure inspired by Irish myth, full of volcanoes, dragons, wild storms and a quest to find a new home. This story celebrates the magic of bees and the wonder of the natural world. An epic tale of volcanoes, dragons and wild storms, with themes... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2400
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

An epic adventure inspired by Irish myth, full of volcanoes, dragons, wild storms and a quest to find a new home. This story celebrates the magic of bees and the wonder of the natural world.

An epic tale of volcanoes, dragons and wild storms, with themes drawn from Irish legend. Written by the current Irish Children's Laureate, this is a celebration of the magic of bees and the power we can all draw from the natural world.

Nestled on a peaceful island, Orla and her grandmother live tending their beloved bees. But bubbling below is a monster waiting to surface - a dormant volcano - and when it wakes, Orla and the rest of the island must flee in search of safety. Orla adventures across the wild sea, guided by her buzzing friends, to find a new home. But what will they find over the horizon?

The Island of the Bees has been described as having a wonderful legendary feel, with a sparky central character, and an ecological message that resonates strongly with the contemporary moment, according to The Irish Times.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241380918

Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 14 May 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Puffin

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by Paddy Donnelly
  • Illustrated by Paddy Donnelly

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 5.0mm

Width: 232.0mm

Height: 302.0mm

Weight: 186g

Pages: 32

Collections

Children's Books Children's Fiction Children's Picture Books Children’s, Teenage and Educational Patricia Forde Penguin Books

About the Author

Patricia Forde (Author) Patricia Forde is an award winning writer from Galway on the west coast of Ireland and was the seventh Laureate na n g, Ireland's children's laureate. She has written more than twenty books for children, in both English and Irish, as well as plays, television programmes and recently a film! Paddy Donnelly (Illustrator) Paddy Donnelly is a bestselling, award winning author illustrator from Ireland who now lives in Belgium. Nominated four times for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration, Paddy has published over 30 picture books, including Fox & Son Tailers, Badger Books and The Vanishing Lake. The Golden Hare was awarded the Children's Book of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2024 and also picked up the picture book award at the 2025 Indie Book Awards. His books are now available in over 25 languages. He wishes that Pluto was still a planet.

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