The Bird Thief

A caravan holiday in the Welsh countryside sounds like the perfect getaway, but for Erin and her family their daily struggles are not so easy to escape from. After a mystical accident in the woods leaves Erin with the extraordinary gift of bird abilities, she is forced to face her own internal battles, as well as new threats like the mean and persistent intruder, Bess. Being able to fly, slow down time and communicate with her new feathered friend a goldfinch called Fable all prove vital when Erin comes across birds being deliberately trapped and killed. Can her superpowers save her and everyone she loves when she finds herself fighting for her life in a forest fire? And what happens if her powers disappear? AGES: 7 to 11 AUTHOR: Rachel is a member of SCWBI and has a short story published in the Spring 2022 edition of Paperbound magazine. She began writing stories as soon as she could hold a pencil, well, that is, when she wasn't holding a book or holding anything she could find to make a den out of. As an adult she is a full-time author and is still doing those things, this time with her two children. Naomi Bennet is a young illustrator and recent Cardiff Met graduate having gained a BA Hons in Illustration. Naomi was the winner of Children's Picture Book Illustration Competition 2022 with Urdd and her book with Casia Wiliam, Y Gragen, was subsequently published by Barddas' in June 2023. Naomi has also worked on a picture book by Suzan Ruben-Alderton, The Fairy who Lived in a Pop Can, which was published in May 2023.