Once Upon An Island

Name: Once Upon An Island
Price: 37.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9781917044349

An Atlas of Islands From Around the World

Alice Albinia, Helen Cann

$37.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

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English

MAGIC CAT PUBLISHING
03 March 2026

Children's & Educational; People & places (Children's&YA); Educational: Geography; Atlases (Children's&YA)

Travel across oceans and through time with award-winning historian and storyteller Alice Albinia in her first children's book, Once Upon an Island.

Discover 20 wondrous islands - from the rugged landscape of the Orkney islands that people of the Stone Age once called home, to the sunny coasts of the Isles of Scilly. This captivating journey reveals islands as places of wonder and warning, rich with histories that have shaped the world far beyond their shores.

Perfect for curious explorers, map lovers and anyone enchanted by the magic of faraway places, Once Upon an Island is an unforgettable voyage through geography, history and story.

Featuring first person narratives and read-aloud maps, all brought to life with beautiful illustrations by Helen Cann. Fully checked and approved by the Indigenous editors association.

Islands include: 1. Chiloé 2. Waiheke 3. Madagascar 4. Lake Titicaca 5. Samoa 6. Tiwi 7. Seychelles 8. Amazon River Islands 9. Mumbai 10. Hawai'i 11. Isla Mujeres 12. Yonaguni 13. Putuo 14. Sicily 15. Lesbos 16. Vis 17. Scilly 18. Texel 19. Orkney 20. Baffin

By: Alice Albinia
Illustrated by: Helen Cann
Imprint: MAGIC CAT PUBLISHING
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 310mm, Width: 256mm, Spine: 12mm
Weight: 354g
ISBN: 9781917044349
ISBN 10: 1917044348
Pages: 64
Publication Date: 03 March 2026
Recommended Age: From 7 years
Audience: Children/juvenile , Children / Juvenile
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Alice Albinia read English literature at Cambridge and South Asian history at SOAS, then worked for two years in Delhi as a journalist, critic and editor. Her first book, Empires of the Indus, was written during a journey through Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Tibet. She won a Royal Society of Literature Award for it and has since gone on to write a number of award-winning books for adults. Once Upon an Island is her first book for children, and while researching it, Alice interviewed people from every island featured in its pages. Helen Cann is an illustrator specialising in hand drawn mapping, children's books, drawing and lettering. She has contributed to over 30 books, won several awards and exhibited around the world. Her book illustrations are mainly hand produced using watercolour, collage and graphite and have been used in picture books, anthologies and chapter books. Helen's illustrations, drawings and lettering have also been commissioned for business branding, ceramic designs and as props for TV and film. She currently works in a sunny studio in Brighton by the sea in the UK.