Soon
From the illustrator of Owl Babies comes a new classic – the stunning story of a baby elephant, Raju, and his mother who take an unforgettable journey into the unknown.
From Patrick Benson, the illustrator of Owl Babies, comes the read-aloud story of Raju the baby elephant and his mummy who set out on a great jungle adventure. Raju follows his mother, holding tightly onto her tail, as they bravely journey across a wide river, battle the tall grass and delve into the deep, dark forest ... meeting snapping crocodiles, slithering snakes and ferocious tigers along the way. But where are Raju and his mummy going? What will they see in the end? Little tired Raju keeps asking, "When can we go home again?" and, each time, his mummy replies, “Soon”. This lyrical story transports readers to the lush, wild Indian jungle and exquisitely captures the fear and excitement of new experience.
“The pictures are wonderful and by the same artist who worked on Martin Waddell’s Owl Babies – one of my all-time, much-loved books.” The Irish Times
"Stunning illustrations." The Times
Timothy Knapman is a children’s writer, lyricist and playwright. His children’s books have been translated into many different languages and include Soon, illustrated by Patrick Benson, Time Now to Dream, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, Dinosaurs Don't Have Bedtimes, illustrated by Nikki Dyson, Can't Catch Me, illustrated by Simona Ciraolo, and Follow the Track all the Way Back, illustrated by Ben Mantle. Timothy's titles are often featured on CBeebies Bedtime Stories. His most recent title with Walker is The Greedy Wolf, illustrated by Jean Jullien. Find him online at timothyknapman.co.uk and on Instagram as @TimothyKnapman.
Illustrator Patrick Benson has won many awards for his work, including the Mother Goose Award, the Christopher Medal and the Kurt Maschler Award. His picture book Owl Babies is a modern classic and has sold over two million copies worldwide. His other work includes artwork for The MinPins by Roald Dahl, The Little Boat by Kathy Henderson, The Sea-Thing Child by Russell Hoban and Soon by Timothy Knapman. He lives in Scotland.