The Terrakeet

The youngest child of a simple fishing family discovers the truth about the faraway monster they fear in this delightful, imaginative debut.

The Finlock family lives by the Pincer Sea, as peaceful as can be. They spend their days lounging and fishing for fronds to cook in their little copper kettles. It’s an idyllic life, disturbed only by their great fear of the frimbulitic Terrakeet! Luckily, they’ve never seen this carnivorous beast, for it lives beyond Finlock Bay. But one day, when there are no fronds to be found, the youngest Finlock journeys in all directions to search for other delectables . . . and comes face-to-face with the dreaded creature! But would such a terrible monster cry about swarming bees? Would it ask if the lad had been fed? First-time author Jo van der Borgh uses playful invented language to craft a classic story of discovering the true nature of others and making unexpected friends, illustrated with utter charm by Jo Beasley.

Jo van der Borgh grew up in southeast London and spent most of her holidays on the Atlantic coast of southwest Ireland in walking boots and boats. She has always had a passion for nonsense poetry and moral tales, so when her job in the commercial world of property lost its appeal, she left to pursue a master’s in creative writing and children’s literature at Kingston University. The Terrakeet is her debut picture book, illustrated by her school friend Jo Beasley. Jo van der Borgh lives in Greater London.

Jo Beasley is a freelance illustrator who grew up in England and worked as a graphic designer before backpacking around Australia and ending up in New Zealand. She keeps a watercolor sketchbook for capturing the simple beauty in her everyday life while on the go. Jo Beasley lives in Auckland, New Zealand.