Book 1: How to Kidnap a Mermaid
Book 2: How to Rescue a Unicorn
Book 3: coming Fall 2026

Tiny Wilde is not exactly hero material. Yet.

At twelve years old, he’s a giant who hasn’t had his growth spurt. He wears Star Wars pyjamas to bed. And he lives in an abandoned warehouse away from human society. Tiny doesn’t even have the super strength all giants should have because Mythics lost their magic years ago. Oh, but he can make a spectacular grilled cheese sandwich.

Tiny’s nothing like his dad, a legendary giant famous for his heroic quests and ridiculously awesome hair. So when Tiny’s mermaid friend, Nalia, recruits him for a dangerous adventure to revive the long-lost magic, Tiny jumps at the chance to prove he can be a hero. And when Tiny’s dad is captured by villainous forces, completing the quest becomes a matter of life or death.

With the help of a cantankerous gnome named Podge, Tiny and Nalia must outwit shape-shifters, fight off attacking pixies, and heal the extraordinary ancient creature responsible for all Mythic magic.

With an incomplete prophecy, a perilous journey, and an unlikely set of allies, How to Kidnap a Mermaid invites you on the quest of a lifetime.

I was born and raised in Victoria, BC, but when I was 18 I moved to London, England to be a drummer. I spent most of the 1980s there, had big 80s hair, played in many bands in countless UK pubs, concert halls and a few stadiums. I toured Europe in a van that smelled like motor oil and gym socks. My novel, Noisemaker, is loosely based on my experiences of the good, the bad, and the noisy of that era.

After returning to Canada, I worked as a photojournalist and photography director at Maclean’s Magazine and the National Post. In the morning before work, I drank very strong tea and wrote fiction and, in particular, adventure stories for children.

I now live in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia in a big old house with my family and two cats named Olive and Ottoline. I work as a freelance photographer and filmmaker (andrewtolson.com), write children’s books, and still drink very strong tea. How to Kidnap a Mermaid is my debut fantasy for young readers. My big 80s hair is long gone.