
The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas
David Almond
Multi-award-winning author David Almond brings us a joyfully life-affirming and fabulously fishy tale about one boy's journey from anguish to joy.
Stanley Potts is just an ordinary boy, but when all the jobs in Fish Quay disappear his Uncle Ernie develops an extraordinary fascination with canning fish. Suddenly their home is filled with the sound of clanging machinery and the stench of mackerel, and Uncle Ernie's obsession reaches such heights that he would even can Stan's beloved goldfish! Stan, however, has his own destiny, which leads him – via a hook-a-duck stall – to Pancho Pirelli, the blue-caped madman who swims with piranhas. And as Stan delves into the waters, he finally discovers who he really can be.
Product Details
About David Almond
Reviews for The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas
The Bookseller
A homely but equally zany tale
The Telegraph
Funny and unusal with wonderful characters
The Bookseller
A beautiful story
Reader’s Digest
Out of the ordinary comes the extraordinary, and visuals and text merge together to tell a truly magnificent fishy tale.
INIS Magazine
Often funny, occasionally poignant, but always subtle and never naïve, this is a terrific read.
INIS Magazine
There’s no mistaking the hallmark Almond tenderness and the willingness to work with the common things in life, which animate the book from start to finish and make it good
Guardian
Atmospheric, poetic, beautiful
Irish Times
Fun, magical and enchanting. . . will appeal to readers of Roald Dahl
My Book Corner
Dahl-esque adventure. I thought I knew David Almond through his book Skellig. But this is more like the best work of Roald Dahl than standard teen fiction . . . Oliver Jeffers’ illustrations work as a brilliant accompaniment to this funny book
The Teacher
Its message hits home: give a child belief in himself and there’s no limit to what he can achieve
The Daily Mail