Enchantment in the Garden

Author: Hughes, Shirley

Picture storybooks

Published on 28 August 2025 by Walker Books Ltd in the United Kingdom.

Hardback | 64 pages
224 x 268 x 13 | 504g

A classic and beautifully illustrated story about friendship by best-loved author–illustrator, Shirley Hughes.

Set in Italy in the 1920s, Enchantment in the Garden is the story of a lonely young girl called Valerie, who discovers a beautiful marble statue of a boy riding a dolphin. One magical day, the boy comes to life and the eternal friendship between Valerie and Cherubino, the son of a sea-god, begins. Originally published in 1996, this is a timeless tale of friendship set against a backdrop of summer sunsets, renaissance gardens and dramatic seascapes. It has a strong environmental message and a richness of quality that could only come from the hands of world class author–illustrator Shirley Hughes.