When Jem and his family move to the countryside, he doesn’t like his new home one bit.

It’s an old cottage on the side of a hill, where strange things keep happening: shoes are filled up with conkers, the stairs become tangled in a woollen maze. Jem’s sister Verity is certain it is the work of a “nouka”, an ancient creature from local folklore that lives deep down inside the hill. Jem, however, is adamant that there is no such thing.

But this small mythical creature, so attuned to the hearts and minds of others, does exist. And, what’s more, it is determined, through mischief and mayhem, to help Jem reignite the spark within himself once more.

My Review

‘You ever have any trouble there?”
‘No,’ Jem said, quickly.
The old woman regarded him over her spectacles…’Good,’ she said. ‘If you ever do, just leave a little something outside your back door.’
‘Pardon?’
‘A bowl of porridge or a few crusts. It keeps them happy, you see.’
‘Who?’
‘You know who.’

But Jem doesn’t believe in the nouka. It doesn’t exist…

I don’t often review children’s literature but The Boy Who Lost His Spark is in a class of its own and I just had to. Of course the fabulous illustrations are part of its charm. It’s set to be a modern classic.

So what is the nouka? It’s ‘little and fluffy,’ Jem’s sister Verity tells him, ‘with black fur that sticks out all around. Unless it’s been raining…water makes their fur go droopy. Noukas hate rain.’

I can honestly say that this is probably one of the best children’s books I have ever read.

Q & A with Scarlett Jordan, Age 8 and Holly Jordan, Age 6

It’s a beautiful book isn’t it. Did you like the illustrations?

Holly: I like the pictures of the nouka. It’s small and cute.
Scarlett: Beautiful.

Do you think the story has a message?

(My daughter-in-law interjected here and explained about Jem’s problems with reading and about being dyslexic.)

I think this is very important to the story as Jem shouldn’t be made to feel stupid.

Who is your favourite character in the story?

Scarlett: Mmmm
Holly: The nouka! nouka, nouka, nouka!

If you lived where Jem and Verity live, would you believe the nouka was real?

Yes. And Holly even made up her own song about the nouka.

About the Author

Maggie O’Farrell is an award-winning Irish-British author. Her books for adults have received international acclaim; she has won the Betty Trask Award for her debut novel After You’d Gone, the Somerset Maugham Award in 2005 for The Distance Between Us, the 2013 Costa Novel Award for The Hand That First Held Mine, the 2020 Waterstones Book of the Year Award and the 2020 Women’s Fiction Prize for Hamnet, and her non-fiction book I Am I Am I Am reached number 1 on the Sunday Times bestseller list. Where Snow Angels Go was her first book for children, and it won the Indie Book of the Month. Find her online at maggieofarrell.com

Daniela Terrazzini studied Fine Art in Milan and moved to London to study Photography at The London College of Printing. She is now an illustrator of both detailed paintings and graphic surface patterns. She has illustrated Where Snow Angels Go by Maggie O’Farrell, The Night I Met Father Christmas by Ben Miller and The Seeing Stitch by Jane Yolan. Follow her on Twitter as @DJTerrazzini and Instagram as @danielajterrazzini.