A boy who sailed with piranhas

Life is the wall of Erunda, yesterday an ordinary boy, changed overnight: climbing at 6:00 and - fish, fish, fish ... clean it, gut it, rolling cans. From morning till night. And no vacation. Even the escape does not save from the nightmare. Starts to the fair, into the dangerous world of booths and magic, and is already preparing to dive into the aquarium with a buit of piranha ... Where are you, think it over! They will devour you!

" - Do you know what I think? - said Dostoevski.
- I think you were locked up for too long. You, Malaya, ripened. Ready for adventure. Am I right or wrong? "

David Almond writes about people who are true to themselves and each other. He is a laureate of Andersen Prize, the highest international award, and an authoritative Whitredov Prize. In 2020, Almond will become an honorary guest of the Congress of the International Council for the IBBY children"s book, which will be held in Moscow. Previously, this book was published in Samokat in 2016, now it was published in an updated design.

Awards and the press about the book
Almond - the best that is in literature today - both children"s and adult.
The Times
You can try to explain for a long time why these books are so exceptionally beautiful. Firstly, it is completely impossible to tear yourself away from them. Secondly, they are remarkably not indifferent to the life and sufferings of the living world. So, "Skellig" makes us listen to the squeak of newborn chicks, and the "boy who sailed with piranhas" teaches to sympathize with fish. You can recall how masterfully Almond plays with children"s fears without pushing them out of the way of the story. But for his heroes, the homeless with a dog, met in abandoned mines, turns into a guide to the underworld, and a creature, close to angels than people, is born from stench, dirt and web. However, no matter what magical creatures hatch on these pages, in the world of Almond they are not the main ones. The main thing here is always children: suffering, lonely, so unlike everyone or, conversely, so ordinary, but always finding words to speak about themselves.
Lisa Birger, "Kommersant"

A great metaphor about internal piranha, but in general, Almonda should read for indestructible optimism.
Tatyana Naumova, "Book of House"

for primary school age