Stitch: Reimagining Frankenstein

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

“In a lightning-storm of beautiful writing, Pádraig Kenny brings his extraordinary cast of characters to perfect, charming life. A marvelously delicate parable of friendship and compassion, Stitch is witty, elegant, and profound.” —Jonathan Stroud

In a Frankenstein-inspired adventure, Stitch and his friend Henry Oaf were brought to life by the genius Professor Hardacre. But when his wicked nephew takes over the laboratory, they soon discover that the new professor's sights are set on Henry as his next experiment. Can Stitch and Henry escape his clutches and make their way in a world they were never built for—and that may only ever see them as monsters? Literary yet accessible, warmhearted yet chillingly gothic, this beautiful novel, described by the London Times as “exceptional,” explores themes of life and death, friendship and acceptance, all through a page-turning adventure about what it means to be human.

About the Author

Pádraig Kenny, previously an arts journalist, teacher, and librarian’s assistant, now writes full-time. Both his first novel, Tin, and recent The Monsters of Rookhaven were selected as Waterstones Books of the Month. He has twice won the Children’s Books Ireland Honor Award for Fiction, has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal, and has been short-listed for the Irish Book Awards. He lives in Ireland.

Steve McCarthy is an Irish designer and illustrator. His first picture book, The Wilderness, won the Children’s Books Ireland Honor Award for Illustration. His poetry anthology with Sarah Webb, A Sailor Went to Sea, Sea, Sea, was the 2017 Children’s Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards. Steve McCarthy lives in London.