About the Author

Lauren St John (Author) Lauren St John grew up surrounded by horses, cats, dogs and a pet giraffe on a farm and game reserve in Zimbabwe, the inspiration for her bestselling White Giraffe and One Dollar Horse series, as well as her YA horse novel, The Glory. Dead Man's Cove, the first in her Laura Marlin Mystery series, won the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award. Before becoming a children's author, she worked as a journalist for The Sunday Times, writing about sports, music and spies. Along with her veterinary nursing training, it served as perfect research for her Kat Wolfe mystery series and The Snow Angel, a standalone MG novel. A passionate conservationist, Lauren is an Ambassador for the Born Free Foundation, a patron for horse sanctuary, Mane Chance, and the founder of Authors4Oceans. When not rescuing leopards and dolphins, she is a full-time valet to her rescued, and not in the least demanding, Bengal cat, Max. To find out more, visit her website at www.laurenstjohn.comDavid Dean (Illustrator) David Dean studied illustration at Manchester Metropolitan University and has been working as an illustrator since 1999. He has to date created covers for nearly 40 books including Lauren St. John's THE WHITE GIRAFFE and DOLPHIN SONG (both Orion), as well as many other illustrations for books, magazines, CDs, posters and advertisements.

Reviews

St John's refined prose and assertive young protagonists convey a profound regard for the beauty and magic of the vast African backdrop ... a hugely enjoyable and gripping summer read for both girls and boys.
*THE BOOKSELLER on THE LAST LEOPARD*

A deep sense of humanity runs through the tale which encompasses themes such as loss, bereavement, guilt, courage, love and kindness
*Primary Teacher*

A thrilling mix of heartfelt eco-friendly adventure and natural magic ... perfect for 8-11s.
*Amanda Craig, THE TIMES on THE LAST LEOPARD*

St John's descriptions of southern Africa provide a sumptuous backdrop ... top-drawer adventure storytelling, with an added helping of fantasy thrown in. It all makes for a genuinely gripping tale that will warm even the coldest of hearts.
*Joe Melia, Waterstone's Bristol Galleries on THE WHITE GIRAFFE*

enthralling... we may not all have a white giraffe to make life easier, but his book reminds us that even the most miserable situation can get better.
*John Millen on THE WHITE GIRAFFE*

Mystery, intrigue and suspense dominate the story of 11 year old orphaned Martine who is sent to live with her grandmother on a game reserve in South Africa. Reading this meticulously worded, cleverly crafted and flawless novel proved to be a real joy. This book has the hallmark of a children's classic and would make a delightful film.
*Marion Griffiths, ARMADILLO on THE WHITE GIRAFFE*