Ariki and the Giant Shark by Nicola Davies

By Nicola Davies (author) , Nicola Kinnear (illustrator) Part of the Ariki series

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A funny, touching and original mystery-adventure about a young girl living on a tropical island - the first in a new series. From multi award-winning author Nicola Davies comes a new adventure series, starring a young girl living on a tropical island in a sea full of islands.

Washed up on Turtle Island as a toddler, Ariki has always felt different from the other children. But there's somewhere she belongs heart and soul: the sea, where she plays with dolphins, sharks, whales and turtles. One day Ariki catches sight of a strange creature in the water, bigger than any she's seen before - soon after, an enormous shark tooth is found on the sand.

When a group of giant sharks start circling the shore, the island's fishermen are too afraid to go out to sea. Without fish the people will starve... Can Ariki save the day?

The first in an exciting new series, this book is strikingly original but has the feel of a classic: Ariki's world is a timeless paradise, and children are sure to fall under the spell of this cheeky, charming little girl.

'Ariki is an exotic heroine who easily wins the readers to her side: man and nature need not always be in competition. Her unusual gift for reading the stars and communicating with creatures of the sea brings a mythical quality to the Pacific-set tale that elevates it above realist coming of age stories, while Nicola Davies, a well-known zoologist as well as an author, does not shy away from thick description of the ocean world, or the threats posed to it by human intervention. Nicola Kinnear's illustrations, meanwhile, are generously scattered throughout the book, making this a visually attractive as well as an exciting, worthy read.' - The Irish Times

'Ariki is a strong and independent heroine; a perfect role model for children everywhere.' - BookTrust

'Nicola Davies is one of our finest writers for children about the natural world [...] This is an elegantly told story about difference and acceptance and standing up for what you believe in.' - The Sunday Times Culture

Nicola Davies is an award-winning author, whose many books for children include The Promise, Tiny, A First Book of Nature and King of the Sky. She has been writing for children for more than 20 years. Underlying all Nicola's writing is the belief that a relationship with nature is essential to every human being, and that now, more than ever, we need to renew that relationship. Her work has been published in more than 10 different languages and has won major awards in the UK, US, France, Italy and Germany. Nicola is the Children’s Laureate Wales 2025-2027.

She is a Zoology graduate, an expert in whales and bats, and has worked for the BBC Natural History Unit. She lives in Powys