The Queen in the Cave

One night, Franca has a dream about a marvellous queen, who lives in a dark cave, deep in the forest. She cannot sit still until she knows if her dream is true!

So, together with her younger sisters, Carmela and Tomasina, she ventures into the forest at the end of their garden. As they travel deeper through nettles and thickets, drawing closer and closer to the cave, the world shifts ... everything shrinks and expands at the same time. They are somewhere new now, somewhere different. Here, they meet beasts and creatures that shock and delight them, and escape horrible things that utterly frighten them. They learn how to be brave, to be bold, to face their darkest fears. And what of the queen? Well, what they find in the cave is perhaps the most unexpected thing of all...

An irresistibly dark and mysterious modern day fairy tale that mixes the feel of classics such as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with the grittier shades of the Grimms’ tales.

No one makes artwork like Júlia Sardà - each spread is a stunning and wildly imaginative set piece brought to life in sumptuous colour and detail. There are discoveries and layers to be unearthed with each new reading, this is truly a book that keeps on giving.

Júlia Sardà was nominated for a Kate Greenaway medal for Sweep, written by Louise Greig, in 2019. She illustrated The Wolf's Secret by Nicolas Digard and Myriam Dahman, which won Foyles Children's Book of the Year 2020.

By Júlia Sardà

Illustrated by Júlia Sardà

About the author

Júlia Sardà is a Spanish artist who has illustrated many books for children, including Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein by Linda Bailey, The Liszts by Kyo Maclear, and a number of classics such as Alice in Wonderland, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. She has illustrated The Wolf's Secret by Nicolas Digard and Myriam Dahman, which won Foyles Children's Book of the Year 2020. Her work has been published around the world in many languages. The Queen in the Cave is her debut to the Walker list and the first book she has both written and illustrated. She lives in Barcelona. You can find her on Instagram @juliasardaportabella.