Illustrated fantasy adventure
The Boy with the Secret Mark
Narin’s perfectly round birthmark gives him an influence he never asked for. When a stolen map leads to a hidden river, he must decide how to use that power honestly.
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Children of the Hidden River · Book 2 · Uncle Yod
Twins at the Village of Perfect Smiles
What if a perfect smile hid an unhappy truth?
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- Category
- Illustrated fantasy adventure
- Setting
- Sainahm, the Land of the Returning Rivers
- Edition
- Colour illustrated digital edition
Inside the book
Kanya and Arun arrive in Stillwater to find flowers, lanterns and a bell that seems to make every worry disappear.
But a basket maker is not paid. A frightened boy is told to smile. And Keeper Radan offers Kanya a place of honour if she will say something she knows is untrue.
With their parents beside them, the twins begin asking questions. What is the bell hiding? And who gets to decide how a whole village should feel?
A warm adventure about honesty, friendship and the freedom to be yourself.
Colour illustrations open every chapter, and a page of ideas for family conversations follows the story. Your digital purchase includes the 6 × 9-inch reading PDF with its front cover and no contents page, plus an EPUB with adjustable text.
For yourself or your book club
Questions to take into the conversation
- Stillwater looks happy. What do the twins discover beneath the smiles? How might we find out how someone feels without deciding for them?
- Lek does not always want to smile. What helps you when you are sad or angry? How can our family make room for those feelings while treating each other kindly?
- Tala's basket is called a gift before she freely gives it. What makes something a real gift? Can someone change their mind about an agreement?
- Kanya gives up the ribbon rather than say something untrue. What makes that choice difficult? Which grown-ups help her, and how?
- Arun sometimes feels overlooked beside Kanya. What do you value about each twin? What do you appreciate about someone here that other people might not notice?
- When the bell stops, the village still has work to do. What needs to be put right? How can we tell whether an apology is followed by change?
- When could disagreeing be a kind or brave thing to do? Choose one way we could make it easier for everyone in our family to speak honestly.
Discuss these after reading; answers may reveal parts of the story.
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The Tiger Who Would Not Stay
Arun wants to help an injured tigress. Caring for her and her cubs teaches him that love sometimes means protecting another life’s freedom.
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