Published by Bloomsbury • Illustrated by Daniel Egnéus

Winner of the 2020 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books

Moth is a story of light and dark, of change and adaptation, of survival and hope. If you are looking for ideas for using Moth in your classroom, please visit my new Moth resources page!

First published in the UK in June 2018, Moth was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal for Daniel’s breathtaking artwork, shortlisted for the English 4-11 Picture Book Awards, named a book of the summer by the Financial Times and a book of the year by Books for Keeps. I’ve collected excerpts from the many beautiful reviews here.

The US edition was published in June 2019, receiving starred reviews from The Horn Book, Foreword Reviews and Booklist, and was named a book of 2019 by The Horn Book, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library and the National Science Teaching Association. In 2020, Moth won the 2020 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books.

“Powerful and visually spectacular, Moth captures the struggle of animal survival against the background of a changing human world in a unique and atmospheric introduction to Darwin’s theory of natural selection.” Watch Bloomsbury’s beautiful trailer here:

Moth is dedicated to my mother, Merlin. She was an incredible woman who raised me and my sisters alone. Mum died at young age when we were in our mid-20s, but I know she would have loved Moth and the way it has been embraced by children, teachers and parents on both sides of the Atlantic.

Using Moth in schools

The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) chose Moth as a Core Book for 2018/19 and 2019/20. They have produced excellent resources to help Power of Reading teachers with planning integrated science and arts teaching using Moth. Bloomsbury UK have also produced teaching resources, which are available to download here. If you would like me to run a Moth-themed science and writing workshop at your school, please get in touch!

Where can I buy Moth?

All the usual bookshops and online stores such as Barnes & Noble and Indiebound in the US and Blackwells/Heffers and Hive in the UK. Hardbacks recently sold out in the UK but a new print run will arrive in bookshops and online stores in February 2020! The paperback version of Moth will be released in August 2020 and can be pre-ordered now! I’m also very excited to say that my and Daniel’s follow-up to Moth – Fox – will publish in September 2020. Excited is an understatement – I can’t wait to share Fox with you!

In the meantime, you can read my book about the origins of the theory of natural selection The Misadventures of Charles Darwin, and find out why I love writing about science for children.