In the second fantasy set in

Eerie-on-Sea, Herbert and Violet

team up to solve the mystery of
the Gargantis, an ancient creature
of the deep with the power to
create life-threatening storms.

THOMAS TAYLOR
ILLUSTRATED BY TOM BOOTH

ON SALE MAY 12, 2020 • HC: 978-1-5362-0859-7 • $16.99 ($21.99 CAN)

Also available as an e-book and in audio • Ages 8–12 • 336 pages

#malamander
There’s a storm brewing over Eerie-on-Sea, and the fisherfolk say a
monster is the cause. Someone has woken the ancient Gargantis, who
sleeps in the watery caves beneath this spooky seaside town where
legends have a habit of coming to life. It seems the Gargantis is looking
for something: a treasure stolen from her underwater lair. And it just
might be in the Lost-and-Foundery at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, in the
care of one Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder. With the help of the
daring Violet Parma, ever-reliable Herbie will do his best to figure out
what the Gargantis wants and who stole her treasure in the first place.
In a town full of suspicious, secretive characters, it could be anyone.
Gargantis, which is set for a simultaneous global release in May
2020, will closely follow the internationally acclaimed series debut
Malamander. The growing series will be supported by a robust
international marketing campaign and author tour.

THOMAS TAYLOR is an award-winning author-illustrator for children whose debut

novel, Malamander, kicked off this mystery series. He illustrated the cover for the original
British edition of the first Harry Potter book and has since gone on to write and illustrate
several picture books and young adult novels, including the graphic novel Scarlett Hart:
Monster Hunter by Marcus Sedgwick. Thomas Taylor lives on the south coast of England.

TOM BOOTH makes marks. He makes marks in books like this one, and he sometimes
makes marks that move. Some of his marks — like those in Don’t Blink! and This Is
Christmas — have been given stars. Raised just outside Philadelphia, Tom Booth made his
earliest marks on his parents’ antique table. He thinks the table looks better now. His parents
aren’t so sure. He lives in Brooklyn.
Dear visitor to Eerie-on-Sea,
As a child, I always loved spending
time in seaside towns, with their
ice-cream stalls and bright seafront
attractions. But it was only when I
came to live in one and stay there
all year round that I found out the
winter truth behind the summer fun.
You see, there’s a secret life to seaside
towns, a world you only discover if
you are there when the tourists go home, and the nights grow
long, and the sea mist creeps up the streets and peers through
your windows like a ghost. It’s a world of nearly empty hotels,
strangers walking alone on the beach, and boarded-up fairground
rides. A world of strange possibilities, where even the most
bizarre legend suddenly seems as if it just might be true. . . .
These are the thoughts that first inspired me to write
Malamander and that continue to stir my imagination as the
series now continues with the equally mysterious Gargantis. I
hope they also inspire you to open these books, pull your coat
warmly around you, and step into a world of mystery, monsters,
and magic.
With eerie best wishes,

Thomas Taylor
 Praise for Malamander
H “Taylor assembles the sort of supporting
cast that makes anything seem possible.”
— Booklist (starred review)

“Taylor combines atmospheric descriptions

with tongue-in-cheek humor, off-kilter
concepts (a mechanical mermonkey
that “prescribes” books), and quirky
characters to create an unusual series
opener. Meanwhile, exaggerated, stylized
illustrations from Booth bring both cast
and setting to life, capturing the feel of this
fantastical, energetic mystery.”
— Publishers Weekly

“A wonderfully imaginative and

atmospheric adventure, rich in myth and
legend, and with a delicious gothic edge. . . .
Malamander confirms [Taylor] as a
ferociously talented writer. . . . This really
is one that deserves all the buzz.”
— The Bookseller (U.K.)
“Malamander is the kind of book I
dreamed about as a kid: a magical blend
of oddball folklore and humor about
two peculiar and plucky kids who puzzle
out some local secrets in a town that is a
character in its own right. And everything
is wrapped in the off-season mystery of the
seaside when the tourists have gone.
This book is so much fun, I’m already
dreaming of my next visit to Eerie-on-Sea.”
— Kate Milford, best-selling author
of the Greenglass House series
“The deeply atmospheric setting is a
standout. This creepy, quirky debut trilogy
opener — think H. P. Lovecraft crossed with
John Bellairs — is dank, misty fun.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“In Malamander, Thomas Taylor
casts a spell over his readers as he welcomes
us into the mysterious mist-covered town
of Eerie-on-Sea, where magic infuses the
air, monster legends haunt the shore,
and secrets lurk in the shadows. Filled
with humor, adventure, and wonderful
strangeness, this book is a treat.”
— Anne Ursu, author of The Lost Girl