When the Sky Falls: The bestselling wartime animal tale inspired by a true story By Phil Earle

It’s 1940, and Joseph has been packed off to stay with Mrs F, a gruff woman with no great fondness for children. To Joseph’s amazement, she owns the rundown city zoo where Joseph meets Adonis, a huge silverback gorilla. Adonis is ferociously strong and dangerous, but Joseph finds he has an affinity with the lonely beast. But when the bombs begin to fall, it is up to Joseph to guard Adonis’s cage should it be damaged by a blast. Will Joseph be ready to pull the trigger if it comes to it?

Winner of The Times Children’s Book of the Year; The Books Are My Bag Reader’s Award 2021, and
Sunday Independent Books of the Year (Ireland)

Named Children’s Fiction Book of the Year at the British Book Awards!