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And Now We Run
First published January 1, 2026
About the author
Nicola Davies
174 books186 followers"I was very small when I saw my first dolphin," says zoologist Nicola Davies, recalling a seminal visit with her father to a dolphin show at the zoo. Enchanted at the sight of what she called the "big fish" jumping so high and swimming so fast, she determined right then that she would meet the amazing creatures again "in the wild, where they belonged." And indeed she did--as part of a pair of scientific expeditions, one to Newfoundland at the age of eighteen and another to the Indian Ocean a year later. In WILD ABOUT DOLPHINS, Nicola Davies describes her voyages in a firsthand account filled with fascinating facts and captivating photographs of seven species of dolphins in action.
Nicola Davies's seemingly boundless enthusiasm for studying animals of all kinds has led her around the world--and fortunately for young readers, she is just as excited about sharing her interests through picture books. The zoologist's latest offering puts a decidedly quirky twist on her years of experience: POOP: A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE UNMENTIONABLE is a fun, fact-filled guide to the fascinating world of poop across species. "As a zoologist, you are never far from poop!" the writer explains. "I've baked goose poop in an oven with my dinner, looked at bat poop under the microscope, and had my T-shirt stained pink with blue-whale poop. I was obviously fated to write this book."
The exceptional combination of Nicola Davies's zoological expertise and her first-rate children's writing is apparent in her remarkable catalog of award-winning titles. Her first book with Candlewick Press, BIG BLUE WHALE, was hailed by American Bookseller as an "artfully composed study" offering "language exactly appropriate for four- to seven-year-olds and precisely the right amount of information." In ONE TINY TURTLE, Nicola Davies's clear, compelling narrative follows the life of the rarely seen loggerhead turtle, which swims the oceans for thirty years and for thousands of miles in search of food, only to return, uncannily, to lay her eggs on the very beach where she was born. The author's next book, BAT LOVES THE NIGHT, is a tenderly written ode to a much-misunderstood flying mammal, the pipistrelle bat, while SURPRISING SHARKS--winner of a BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Honor Award--contains unexpected facts about another one of the planet's most infamous animals.
When she is not off on scientific expeditions, Nicola Davies lives in a cottage in Somerset, England, where she is lucky enough to have pipistrelle bats nesting in her roof.
Nicola Davies's seemingly boundless enthusiasm for studying animals of all kinds has led her around the world--and fortunately for young readers, she is just as excited about sharing her interests through picture books. The zoologist's latest offering puts a decidedly quirky twist on her years of experience: POOP: A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE UNMENTIONABLE is a fun, fact-filled guide to the fascinating world of poop across species. "As a zoologist, you are never far from poop!" the writer explains. "I've baked goose poop in an oven with my dinner, looked at bat poop under the microscope, and had my T-shirt stained pink with blue-whale poop. I was obviously fated to write this book."
The exceptional combination of Nicola Davies's zoological expertise and her first-rate children's writing is apparent in her remarkable catalog of award-winning titles. Her first book with Candlewick Press, BIG BLUE WHALE, was hailed by American Bookseller as an "artfully composed study" offering "language exactly appropriate for four- to seven-year-olds and precisely the right amount of information." In ONE TINY TURTLE, Nicola Davies's clear, compelling narrative follows the life of the rarely seen loggerhead turtle, which swims the oceans for thirty years and for thousands of miles in search of food, only to return, uncannily, to lay her eggs on the very beach where she was born. The author's next book, BAT LOVES THE NIGHT, is a tenderly written ode to a much-misunderstood flying mammal, the pipistrelle bat, while SURPRISING SHARKS--winner of a BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Honor Award--contains unexpected facts about another one of the planet's most infamous animals.
When she is not off on scientific expeditions, Nicola Davies lives in a cottage in Somerset, England, where she is lucky enough to have pipistrelle bats nesting in her roof.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 30, 2026
And Now We Run by Nicola Penfold.
Cover by Manuel Šumberac
And Now I Sleep! 😂 I absolutely raced through this book- what a gripping read.
It’s a really well conceived read for now: a quick read at 217 pages, but driven by compelling, rounded characters, featuring a pulsing high stakes race against time and deepened by heartfelt moments of humanity. Way to grab and then keep young readers’ attention.
The set up is brilliant and introduces Jelly and Lincoln, who will take turns in telling the story. Both are slight outliers on the school residential camp. Jelly’s move to secondary school has seen her friendships shift; Lincoln is the kid with the wrong shoes, pegged as the ‘naughty’ boy by staff and fellow pupils.
The early scenes in camp are brilliantly done. You are really drawn to Jelly and Lincoln through such realistic, relatable interactions and scenarios for new Year 7s away from home. Jelly’s vulnerability is so raw and you are brought to root for her as she begins to see her worth. Lincoln is actually thoughtful & sensitive, knowledgeable about the natural world, but nobody has taken the time to notice until Jelly.
But then events take a turn for the catastrophic… torrential rain causes flash floods and the infrastructure begins to give way meaning the children suddenly find themselves in a life or death situation. I loved the way the lore of the camping grounds & the story of Drowned Mary and her village foreshadowed the disaster to come.
An exciting story of survival against the odds and a reminder of the fragility of life when nature is pushed to its limits. Also featuring a very good dog and a very lofty third perspective- that I LOVED. What a great read!
Cover by Manuel Šumberac
And Now I Sleep! 😂 I absolutely raced through this book- what a gripping read.
It’s a really well conceived read for now: a quick read at 217 pages, but driven by compelling, rounded characters, featuring a pulsing high stakes race against time and deepened by heartfelt moments of humanity. Way to grab and then keep young readers’ attention.
The set up is brilliant and introduces Jelly and Lincoln, who will take turns in telling the story. Both are slight outliers on the school residential camp. Jelly’s move to secondary school has seen her friendships shift; Lincoln is the kid with the wrong shoes, pegged as the ‘naughty’ boy by staff and fellow pupils.
The early scenes in camp are brilliantly done. You are really drawn to Jelly and Lincoln through such realistic, relatable interactions and scenarios for new Year 7s away from home. Jelly’s vulnerability is so raw and you are brought to root for her as she begins to see her worth. Lincoln is actually thoughtful & sensitive, knowledgeable about the natural world, but nobody has taken the time to notice until Jelly.
But then events take a turn for the catastrophic… torrential rain causes flash floods and the infrastructure begins to give way meaning the children suddenly find themselves in a life or death situation. I loved the way the lore of the camping grounds & the story of Drowned Mary and her village foreshadowed the disaster to come.
An exciting story of survival against the odds and a reminder of the fragility of life when nature is pushed to its limits. Also featuring a very good dog and a very lofty third perspective- that I LOVED. What a great read!
Displaying 1 of 1 review