The Island of the Bees
Published on 14. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
32 pages
978-0-241-38091-8 (ISBN)
Description
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?
"The story has a wonderful legendary feel, a sparky central character, and an ecological message that resonates strongly with the contemporary moment." The Irish Times
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?
"The story has a wonderful legendary feel, a sparky central character, and an ecological message that resonates strongly with the contemporary moment." The Irish Times
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Random House Children's UK
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 0 to 6 years
Product notice
Picture book
Dimensions
Height: 283 mm
Width: 231 mm
Thickness: 7 mm
Weight
192 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-38091-8 (9780241380918)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Patricia Forde
The Island of the Bees
An epic tale of volcanoes, dragons and wild storms from the Irish Children's Laureate 2023-2026
E-Book
05/2026
Puffin
€8.99
Available for download
Persons
Patricia Forde (Author)
Patricia Forde is an award winning writer from Galway on the west coast of Ireland and was the seventh Laureate na nOg, Ireland's children's laureate.
She has written more than twenty books for children, in both English and Irish, as well as plays, television programmes and recently a film!
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.
Patricia Forde is an award winning writer from Galway on the west coast of Ireland and was the seventh Laureate na nOg, Ireland's children's laureate.
She has written more than twenty books for children, in both English and Irish, as well as plays, television programmes and recently a film!
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.