Who’s Afraid of the Light?

Anna McGregor author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Scribe Publications

Published:13th Jul '23

£12.99

Available for immediate dispatch.

This hardback is available in another edition too:

Who’s Afraid of the Light? cover

Fergus lives down in the deepest, darkest sea and is scared of just one thing … the light!

From award-winning creator Anna McGregor (author of Anemone is Not the Enemy) comes this hilarious tale of the deepest of sea creatures. Seamlessly combining humor, narrative, and nonfiction, McGregor introduces young readers to the wonders of the ocean’s ‘midnight zone’, where no sunlight at all is able to penetrate. We meet Fergus as he hides from a parade of sea creatures that use bioluminescence to find their way in the dark. At least, we think he is hiding … or is it something else entirely?

‘An unnamed narrator has a cheery conversation in the darkest depths of the sea in this humorous tale that sheds some light on the midnight zone. The brightly coloured text and a parade of curious creatures stand out against dark backdrops as readers are introduced to the mysterious Fergus, a deep-sea creature who’s afraid of the light. The narrator provides primers on the creatures encountered, while a “Did you know?” section at the end expands on the science of the deep sea.’

* Foreword Reviews *

Who’s Afraid of the Light is a lively, inventive and informative book that will be loved by readers aged three and up. It begs to be read aloud with a friend or family member.’

-- Jacqui Davies * Books+Publishing *

‘McGregor seamless blend of storytelling, facts, and dazzling illustrations is the perfect way to introduce little children to the wonders of the vast and mysterious “midnight zone” where no sunlight is able to penetrate.’

-- Pam Norfolk * Lancashire Post *

‘Clever, funny, super-engaging, packed with easy-to-understand and unusual oceanic facts and so, so stylish — we absolutely love this.’

* Bellis Does Books *

‘It is a great read, and ideal for sharing, with plenty of opportunities for inference, prediction, and further research into the vast unexplored areas of the deep sea. Highly recommend.’

-- Brenda Marshall * The School Librarian *

Who’s Afraid of the Light? is first class narrative non-fiction which I highly recommend for all children of 5+.’

-- Veronica Price * View from Vs Bookshelf *

‘The humour, the illustrations, the story-like presentation of facts: all make this a hugely attractive book for the primary school library, classroom book corner, or bedroom bookcase. Reading for pleasure just got more pleasurable still.’

-- Jane McGregor * ReadingZone *

‘Seamlessly combining humour, narrative, and nonfiction, storyteller and artist Anna McGregor introduces her young readers to the wonders of the ocean's ‘midnight zone’, where no sunlight at all is able to penetrate … Charming, original, informative and fun, Who's Afraid of the Light? is especially and unreservedly recommended for family, daycare centre, preschool, elementary school, and community library Marine Life picture book collections for children ages 3-7.’

* Midwest Book Review *

‘With a laugh a minute, vibrant illustrations, and an opportunity to learn about deep sea creatures this has become one of those books we’ve read over and over again!’

-- @mini.midnight.r

  • Winner of Whitley Awards for Children's Reader 2023 (Australia)
  • Short-listed for Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Award for Age Category: 3 to 5 2023 (Australia)
  • Short-listed for Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards for Children's Literature 2024 (Australia)
  • Short-listed for The Penguin Random House Australia Best Designed Children’s Picture Book 2024 (Australia)

ISBN: 9781914484353

Dimensions: 280mm x 225mm x 8mm

Weight: unknown

32 pages