The Island of the Bees

Name: The Island of the Bees
Price: 19.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9780241380918

Patricia Forde, Paddy Donnelly

$19.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Puffin
04 August 2026

Picture storybooks; Adventure stories (Children's&YA); Animal stories (Children's&YA); Wildlife (Children's&YA)

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?

By: Patricia Forde
Illustrated by: Paddy Donnelly
Imprint: Puffin
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 302mm, Width: 232mm, Spine: 5mm
Weight: 186g
ISBN: 9780241380918
ISBN 10: 024138091X
Pages: 32
Publication Date: 04 August 2026
Recommended Age: From 0 to 6 years
Audience: Children/juvenile , English as a second language
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Patricia Forde (Author) Patricia Forde lives in Galway, in the west of Ireland. She has published five books for children, and written two plays, as well as several television drama series for children and teenagers. She has worked as a writer on both English and Irish language soap operas. In another life, she was a primary school teacher and the artistic director of Galway Arts Festival. Her novel The Wordsmith (published in the USA as The List) was awarded a White Raven award by the International Youth Library. 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.