Review: The Summer Dolphin

The Summer Dolphin is a heart-warming summer adventure set in coastal Wales that completely captivated me as I followed Lillie on her mission to connect with a young dolphin.

Nine-year-old Lillie has been looking forward to her seaside family summer holiday for ages.  But when she arrives at her grandparents’ new home in Wales, she discovers that she will have to sleep in the attic room in a sleeping bag between her older sister, Frankie and her cousin, Lara.  Lots of her family have been invited to stay, yet Lillie feels lonely, and is left out of activities by her sister and cousin who want to spend their time together rather than including Lillie who they see as too young to spend time with them.

When her Grandpa hires a boat for a wildlife-watching trip, Lillie enjoys seeing different seabirds and a huge jellyfish.   When she spots a pod of dolphins, including a mother and her calf, Lilie is fascinated by them as they swim playfully alongside the boat, feeling a connection with the young dolphin.

As Lillie feels more and more isolated from her sister, she spends her time looking for the young dolphin, hoping to get closer to it.  Later in the holiday, Frankie and Lara are really mean to Lillie, so she decides to go looking for the dolphins and prove to her sister that she is not the baby she thinks she is. 

Lillie is excited to be heading off on her own adventure, but soon finds herself in danger when she fails to take notice of the time and the incoming tide … will she find the help she needs to make it back to her family?

This is a gorgeously heart-warming adventure about the importance of connections:  connection to the natural world and its wild beauty, connections within family and the special bonds of sisterhood.  Whilst these bonds can be tested at times, when it really matters, they hold strong.

The description of the coastal environment and the family excursions to enjoy it are wonderful and really convey an appreciation of nature and the benefits of making connections to it.

Lillie is an incredibly sympathetic young girl who is dealing with the disappointment of having a much-anticipated holiday affected by the hurt of being rejected by her older sister in favour of her older cousin.  In order to prove herself, she unwittingly puts herself in danger, but finds help through the connections she has made. 

The full-and-partial-page illustrations by David Dean are absolutely stunning portraying family relationships and the coastal environment beautifully:  a perfect complement to the adventure.

A wonderful adventure for younger readers with family and nature at its heart – a perfect summer read!

Thank you to Little Tiger for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.