A moving and original story of family, friendship – and fish.

“What’s it like, Dad – being a fish?”

Grief takes many forms, and manifests itself in strange ways. Sometimes very strange indeed. When, on an ordinary morning, Dak's father suddenly dies of a heart attack, Dak's mother falls apart. Desperate to escape the atmosphere at home, Dak finds himself going to his dad's favourite place – the local aquarium.

And there, to his amazement, is Dad, who it seems is alive and well as a clownfish! With his mum so ill, Dak decides that, for now, this will have to be his secret, and his alone. But he visits the clownfish tank as often as he can, which is how he comes to meet Violet, the owner's niece.

She's offhand and unfriendly – yet when the aquarium is threatened with closure, Dak and Violet need to work together to save it. For Dak, the stakes couldn't be higher: if the aquarium shuts down, what will happen to Dad? Gently funny, moving and undoubtedly strange, this is a haunting story of life after loss from an award-winning author.

• Heartfelt and bittersweet, this is a witty and moving look at grief. 
• Alan Durant is a widely known and award-winning author, whose work includes picture books with Debi Gliori, Ross Collins and former Children's Laureate Chris Riddell. He makes regular visits to schools and festivals.
• Clownfish will be Alan's 100th book, and it holds a very special place in his heart.