The Island Vet (1) - Pirates and Sea Monsters

By Author / Illustrator

Gill Lewis, Irina Avgustinovich

Genre

Animals

Age range(s)

Publisher

Barrington Stoke

ISBN

9781800902763

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

11-04-2024

Synopsis

Tia and her mum start an adventurous new life on Gull Haven Island, finding lots of animals who need their help along the way.

Tia's mum has a new job as the vet on Gull Haven Island and there are a lot of animals who need her help. When she's called away to help a sickly cow on a nearby island and gets trapped there in a storm, Tia has to step up and care for the animals staying in the surgery. It's a big responsibility and then she has to deal with a mysterious creature that washes up on the shore after the storm. Their new life on the Haven Islands is clearly going to be full of adventures!

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Reviews

Amanda

Gill Lewis is a skilled author who specialises in creating gentle and heart-warming stories with an incredibly strong message and The Island Vet is no different. As a lover of nature, she leaves her readers with a sense of responsibility for taking care of our world.

The Island Vet is full of well-loved pets, interesting wild animals, a kind island community and a family settling into a new life. This story will leave early chapter book readers feeling empowered, knowing that they are capable of doing things to help and make a difference. Tia's love of animals is something that will be relatable to many young readers and this will draw them in to this wonderful narrative.

The honesty and real-life nature of this story communicates responsibility as well as adventure. Throughout the story, Tia faces pirates and sea monsters and realises just how dangerous life near the sea can be!

The Island Vet: Pirates and Sea Monsters is a beautiful modern story that could be read alongside a study of Grace Darling, RNLI or the seaside in Key Stage 1. I look forward to reading the second book – Rescue at Seal Bay – coming in August 2024.

72 pages / Reviewed by Amanda Shipton, teacher