'Fia felt the pull of magic in the air
and the pull of her own strong heart.
She put one foot on the water.'

From the award-winning author of The Wordsmith.


Co-published with Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture

Fia longs to go to the mysterious island that appears and disappears out in the bay. One night a moonbeam reaches across the water and leads her there, to where magical creatures stride around and the air is thick with secrets. Based on the mythical island of Hy Brasil off the West coast of Ireland. 

‘To the Island is an enchanting picture book … a tale that’s imbued with old magic and folklore.’ – Get Kids into Books

‘With lyrical writing, Patricia Forde has created a journey that is filled with magic, imagination and swirling, textural imagery that is echoed to perfection in the beautiful illustrations by Nicola Bernardelli … Evocative, magical, soothing and full of quiet, glorious wonder.’ –  Fallen Star Stories

‘Nicola Bernardelli’s illustrations are suffused with light and glimmering tendrils of magic, which spin through a blushing twilight sky … The city’s natives and visitors alike will enjoy identifying landmarks as much as learning of the local legend.’ – Sara Keating, The Irish Times

‘Beautiful, ethereal, magical. This original picture book captures the imagination of all who read it; it genuinely feels you are holding something magical in your hands.’ –  Reading Zone

‘It is quite unusual to find a full fantasy adventure as a picture book. This is not a story that talks down to children in any way. The language used is rich and evocative and the atmosphere beautifully captured by the prose.’ – Books for Topics

‘… one of the most attractive children’s picture books I’ve seen published this year. Exceptional.’  – Annie Books

‘To the Island is the perfect book to transport your young reader to a whole new world, fuelling both imagination and curiosity.’  – Armadillo Magazine

Listen to an original song composed and performed by musician Anna Mullarkey for this book.

Patricia Forde is from Galway, on the west coast of Ireland. Patricia has published several books in Irish and English, as well as three novels for children, published by Little Island Books. She has won two White Raven Awards and has twice been shortlisted for the Children's Books Ireland Book of the Year. Bumpfizzle the Best on Planet Earth was the Dublin UNESCO Citywide Read 2019. The Wordsmith was published as The List in North America and is a Library Association of America Notable Book for Children. Patricia is married to Padraic and has two grown up children. She still lives in Galway, her favourite city in the world.