The Song from Somewhere Else

Winner of the Amnesty CILIP Honour for Illustration 2018 Shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal Longlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal Frank doesn’t know how to feel when Nick Underbridge rescues her from bullies one afternoon. No one likes Nick. He’s big, he’s weird and he smells – or so everyone in Frank’s class thinks. And yet, there’s something nice about Nick’s house. There’s strange music playing there, and it feels light and good and makes Frank feel happy for the first time in forever. But there’s more to Nick, and to his house, than meets the eye, and soon Frank realises she isn’t the only one keeping secrets. Or the only one who needs help … A poignant, darkly comic and deeply moving story about the power of the extraordinary, and finding friendship where you least expect it. Written by the author of the critically acclaimed The Imaginary and illustrated by award-winning illustrator Levi Pinfold, this is perfect for fans of Roald Dahl and Neil Gaiman

About the Author :
A.F. Harrold is an English poet who writes and performs for adults and children. He spends his time showing off on stage, writing poems and books, and stroking his beard (it helps churn the ideas). He is the author of the Fizzlebert Stump series and the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal longlisted The Imaginary, illustrated by Emily Gravett. He lives in Reading with a stand-up comedian and two cats. Levi Pinfold has been drawing from imagination for as long as he can remember. His published picture books are The Django, Black Dog and Greenling. Black Dog won the prestigious CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal in 2013. Born in the Forest of Dean, he has somehow found himself living in northern NSW, Australia. He likes paintings, books, music, and some cats.

Review :
A powerful story of friendship, secrets and betrayal, it’s a nuanced read with moments of great comedy, and of real darkness. Pinfold’s black and white illustrations are fully integrated and ooze atmosphere, creating a haunting otherworldliness and a hint of menace. Oh, my goodness. The Song from Somewhere Else is a lovely story. Mostly it's a story of friendship and how it can be found in the most unexpected places. And also about growing up and learning that friendship is something that you can both betray and be loyal to and how you make the right choice in that. But it's also a fantasy, imagining other worlds and lives - are such things possible and can they reflect the joys and conflicts in our own, human, lives? It's beautifully told, in smooth evocative writing, with never a word wasted or out of place. Harrold's The Imaginary was illustrated by Emily Gravett, whose beautiful images perfectly complemented the story. There's the same happy marriage between wordsmith and artist here, with illustrations by Levi Pinfold. They are dark and eerie and beautiful .... I truly loved this story. The Song From Somewhere Else is a magical tale about how - sometimes - people might feel alien to us, but that families are universal, whoever you are. Levi Pinfold's stunning, intricate and moody illustrations add an extra layer of atmosphere to this heartfelt and beautifully strange story. Levi’s haunting pictures play a delicate but profound role in making A.F’s words transport you off the page and into this magical world. The story was a tender tale about family and friendship and handled with just as much care as you’d hope. I loved this book. It is the oddest, most surprising and most extraordinary book ... Levi Pinfold’s striking black and white illustrations depict a bleak, uncaring cityscape as harsh as Harrold’s prose. ... It is one of the most exciting and peculiar reads of the decade PRAISE FOR THE IMAGINARY: A richly visualised story which explores imaginary friends and the very special role they play in children’s lives. Emily Gravett’s illustrations capture the hazy world of the imaginaries brilliantly PRAISE FOR THE IMAGINARY: A moving read about loyalty and belief in the extraordinary PRAISE FOR THE IMAGINARY: A delight from start to finish