The Hunt for the Nightingale

Jasper Wilde adores his sister. They've spent many happy hours together, in trees, out walking, watching wildlife, listening to nightingales. So now, it's too much to bear that Rosie might be gone. If, as his parents say, she's gone 'to a better place', surely he can find her. She said she'd always be there for him and she always told the truth: that gives him hope.

Even if ultimately unsuccessful, Jasper's journey is nonetheless one of discovery. The truth is sometimes painful and we need wisdom to navigate by, but love makes the darkest of times bearable and there is lasting good for those who listen and watch.

There is so much here that I liked: a plot that grips until the very last; its realism (I think the author has a real empathy for children); and the facts about birds scattered throughout the story and at chapter headings. I didn't like the illustrations, finding it a shame that these lacked accuracy when it's evident that the author - and therefore her characters - knows her ornithology. While unsure that this book will find many readers – many children have little connection to nature and bereavement is unfamiliar territory too - I shall certainly be recommending it, not least to encourage empathy and engagement in the natural world.

272 pages / Reviewed by Jane Rew, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 9+

Jasper is feeling lost and anxious. His parents have been preoccupied with work since starting their own business and now they seem tired and upset too. His big sister Rosie hasn't come back from university to see him, even though she promised she would; apparently she has gone to a 'better place'. And the nightingale that returns to sing behind his house each spring is missing too. All these lost things are making Jasper sick and dizzy. With a backpack of essentials, his treasured Book of Birds and a tenacious determination to find Rosie and the nightingale, Jasper sets off alone.

His journey takes him through town and country, sunshine and thunderstorms. He avoids people as much as possible but the few he does meet all seem to have lost things too. Jasper surprises himself by helping them and discovering nuggets of friendship where he never expected them. When he finally reaches the end of his trek, the path ahead is different from the one he thought he was searching for - but by then he's found the strength to face the unpredictable.

The wonder of the natural world is woven through the narrative and brought to life by subtly expressive illustrations (mainly of birds). The pictures by Sharon King-Chai were my favourite part of the whole book. For children experiencing bereavement or isolation, it's a very accessible story that explores both without naming either before reaching a hopeful rather than sugary resolution.

The Hunt for the Nightingale is a great title for building empathy and for encouraging readers to look and listen more carefully to the world of nature that surrounds them.

272 pages / Reviewed by Louisa Farrow, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 7+

The Hunt for the Nightingale is a book that stays with you for a long time, as you connect so completely with the child narrator, Jasper, as he sets out on a quest to find a nightingale and his missing sister, and on the way discovers new friends and the courage he didn't think he possessed.

Ten-year-old Jasper is waiting for his sister to return from university so that together they can wait to hear the return of a nightingale to their garden. When his sister doesn't come home, and the nightingale fails to return, Jasper decides to set off to find the nightingale himself; his sister must be with it, he has concluded.

Following a map and with dwindling supplies, Jasper's journey takes far longer than he planned but that's because he is helping people find things they have also lost and also discovering new friends and realising that he can be brave.  As his courage builds, however, he must also accept the reason why his sister hasn't returned.

This is a remarkable debut that weaves together Jason's journey with the 'Book of Birds' that he and his sister have created together over the past few years. Through this, we learn facts about birds and nature but also about the wonderful relationship that Jasper has with his sister, who has nurtured him while they have both been neglected by their parents, whose focus is their growing business. 

Dealing with themes of family life, absent parents and grief, The Hunt for the Nightingale explores some difficult themes but with a sensitive touch as the novel is told through Jasper's perspective. As he shares The Book of Birds, we also get a real appreciation for wildlife and nature as we hear the stories that Jasper's sister has told him, that have helped grow his love for nature. 

If you are sharing the book with your class, it would make a wonderful starting point for exploring nature, sharing the fascinating Bird Facts that begin each chapter and even creating your own 'Book of Birds' or another subject from nature. Jasper's journey through the wilderness can also be followed on a map, which can be a starting point for creating your own maps of local paths or journeys to school. 

A powerful read that touches on many important subjects, and a wonderful starting point for growing children's love and awareness of the natural world.

272 pages / Reviewed by Elen Green

Suggested Reading Age 9+