Cliff by Gareth Hopkins

Cliff by Gareth Hopkins

Be prepared to laugh and tear up at this hilarious, heart-warming friendship tale featuring a bird we all love to hate . . . the seagull! 
 
Lonely fisherman Cliff spends his time at the old lighthouse, until one day a bird lands on his head and refuses to leave. 
 
Cliff wasn’t sure at first. 
Then after a while, having a seagull on his head just felt right. 
Wherever Cliff's head went . . . the seagull went too. 
 
Cliff shares his home and food with the bird, much to the shock of the locals who believe it’s no more than a pest. But, during a storm, when Cliff needs its help the most, can his new friend come to the rescue? 
 
Told with gentle humour and emotional warmth, Cliff is a picture book about animal‑human friendship, empathy and finding connection in unexpected places.  
 
This seagull may steal chips – but it will steal hearts too, including yours. 

Gareth Hopkins is a new author who came runner up in the Mercia Sound ‘young writers’ competition in the 1980s, which proves two things: he is not a winner and he is well old now. Gareth has written adverts on the telly, adverts on the radio, adverts on ginormous billboards that make you want to buy a pair of trainers and run really fast. But when he’s not doing that, he LOVES writing stories for children. He lives in Warwickshire with his family.

Alex Latimer is a hugely successful children’s book author and illustrator, whose books include The Boy Who Cried Ninja. He lives in Cape Town, South Africa. Alex’s picture books are quirky and fun and full of humour that appeals to both children and adults. He uses a combination of hand-drawn lines and computer-enhanced textures to create charming characters and vivid worlds. When he’s not writing or drawing, Alex enjoys hiking the local mountains, swimming in the bay and the odd game of table tennis. Alex was won the Hampshire Picture Book Award, the CELI Read Aloud Book Award and has been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize.