When Nen turned up in my pigeon hole at school, I ripped the packaging open and ran up the 8 (yes, 8!) flights of stairs to my classroom. I really wanted to, but what if I wasn’t keen on the book?! I know both Ian and James are wonderfully talented and kind, however it’s always a risk saying yes to something you have yet to read. Back in April, Ian asked if I would like to be part of the book launch blog tour and, to be honest, I was a little bit worried. I came across Ian and James on Twitter via the #Edutwitter and #BookTwitter circles, within which there seems to be much of an overlap. It is indisputable that we think this is a thoughtful, stunning, and vital addition to any child’s bookshelf.So here goes: my first blogged book review and my first blog tour…and on my birthday no less – what a treat! We also got to chat to the illustrator, James Mayhew! He spoke to us about how important it is to have same-sex love represented in children’s books. We were lucky enough to ask the author, Ian Eagleton, ten questions about the book, his publishing journey, and why diverse fiction matters to him. To buy a copy of this wonderful book, head here. And sometimes you need to meet people before you understand your true self. Nobody is what they seem to be on the outside. Struggling to date or befriend somebody outside of their community. This story reflects a lot of people’s reality. And of course the lovely gay love story at the centre of the book makes it classic fairytale material. Unlike in the original Little Mermaid story, no one has to change, and that’s lovely. When Ernest hears Nen’s song they find each other. This human isn’t like the ones that his father warned him about. He goes out at night singing a song to find what is missing but he just can’t find it, until one day he comes across Ernest and feels something new.

Although Nen has everything that he could wish for, he still feels something is missing. Nen and The Lonely Fisherman is about a merman, called Nen.

What can we say about this wonderful book that hasn’t already been said? We love a merman-human love story! Daneisha who works on Customer Services has been checking out the smash hit that has taken the book world by storm.

Nen and the lonely fisherman