Ride the wind - Nicola Davies

A beautiful, heartfelt story from the author of King of the Sky and The Promise.

Javier has a secret. On one of his father's fishing-trips, he finds an albatross caught on the hooks; alive, if only barely. Against his father's orders, Javier smuggles the bird to safety and begins nursing it back to health. Every day, the albatross accepts a little more food - but she shows no sign of wanting to use her wings. And if Javier's new friend refuses to fly, how will she ever find her way home? With words by award-winning author Nicola Davies and dramatic watercolours by Salvatore Rubbino, this is the story of a boy, a bird and the meaning of home.

"Nicola Davies is one of the best children's writers in the business." Huffington Post

Graduating with a degree in zoology, Nicola once worked as a presenter on the television programme The Really Wild Show.

A beautiful tale with illustrations to match.
There is much to talk about here with school-age readers and Rubbino captures the joy of the bird, the pain of loss and the harshness of the fishing life with his extraordinary pen. Squawks of approval.

The Times

Ride the Wind by Nicola Davies is the story of a young boy, his father, how each is trapped in his own grief, how they connect through a beautiful bird. A wild tale with the salt sway of the sea in its bones. She's queen of the picture book text. Not a word wasted.
Jackie Morris

In this beautifully told and emotive picturebook, a motherless boy breaks rules for the sake of an injured albatross and is reconciled with his harsh father. Salvatore Rubbino's clear, colourful draughtsmanship is deft at evoking the story's South American setting.
The Sunday Times & The Sunday Times Ireland