The Last Pebble out this summer

Alex Horne has written his first children’s book, about a boy who finds a mysterious stone on a family holiday.

The Taskmaster says the title, The Last Pebble, is about  ‘a boy a little bit like me. He found something special and wanted to share it with someone. I know that feeling.’

Ou on July 3, the story revolves around  Trader and his grandpa, who spend the summer holidays combing the beach of Bognor Regis for special stones to add to their collection.

But when Trader finds a particularly special pebble, ‘he stumbles on a secret that was supposed to be kept forever, says the blurb from publishers Walker Books. ‘Can Trader and his new friend Charlotte unravel the mystery of this treasure, and return it to its rightful home?;

Speaking trade website The Bookseller, Horne added: ‘I’ve written about friendships and family, grandparents, school and summer holidays. 

‘There’s a little stone at the heart of it all, something solid and ancient that has seen it all before, while generations of people jostle and bumble through their lives, doing their best to make things make sense. I really hope it chimes with young readers and that my own grandfather would be proud.’

He yesterday posted a video to social media promoting the title:

I've written a book that comes out on July 3rd. It took me ages and I'm really proud of it (and glad it's finally finished). It's meant for kids but if you like summer holidays, grandparents, beaches and, ideally, stones, I hope you'll like it too. It's called The Last Pebble. pic.twitter.com/9wXRlrVVoh

— Alex Horne (@AlexHorne) April 17, 2025

Gráinne Clear, editorial director at Walker Books, added: ‘What drew me to this story was not just the beautiful relationship at its heart but the charm and authenticity of Alex’s voice and how perfectly he had captured the inner thoughts and life of his hero. 

‘It’s also a wonderful thing to work with an author on a story close to their heart, finding the universal in the personal and the magic in the everyday moments of young people’s lives.’

The 256-page book is aimed at children aged nine to 12 and will be published in paperback and ebook.

As well as a number of Taskmaster tie-ins, Horne previously wrote  two books for adults: Birdwatchingwatching in 2009 and Wordwatching the following year, ,about his relationship with his father and his love of words.

The Last Pebble is available from Amazon, priced £7.59 or  – or from uk.bookshop.org, below, which supports independent bookstores.