The Woman Who Turned Children into Birds

A powerful and uplifting tale about freeing the imagination from master storyteller David Almond.

She made her marks.
She whispered her words.
Then she said,
“Go on. Be happy. Up you go."

When Nanty Solo comes to town, she says she can turn children into birds. The parents are sceptical, but the children want to fly. And before very long, everyone does. A celebratory, lyrical story that will make your heart and imagination soar. Written by internationally acclaimed author David Almond and brought to life in glorious uplifting paintings by award-winning illustrator Laura Carlin.

David Almond is the acclaimed author of many award-winning novels for children such as Skellig, Kit's Wilderness and My Name Is Mina, and has collaborated with artists Polly Dunbar, Dave McKean and Oliver Jeffers on fiction for younger readers. David's books sell all over the world, and in 2011 he was the recipient of the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award. In 2021, David was awarded the OBE for Services to Literature. For more info visit: www.davidalmond.com

Laura Carlin is a graduate of the Royal College of Art and the winner of several awards, including the V&A Book Illustration Award. Her work has featured in Vogue, the Guardian and The New York Times; her previous books for Walker include The Iron Man by Ted Hughes, which was awarded an honourable mention in the Bologna Ragazzi Award fiction category. See Laura's work at lauracarlin.blogspot.co.uk.