The Sand Dog by Sarah Lean (author) (UK edition)

Grandfather had been gone for two years but I never thought it would be an ordinary day he’d come back, like a Monday or a Tuesday… I always knew he’d return across the water, triumphing over a few monsters on the way, I just didn’t know when…

When Azi’s grandfather leaves their small Mediterranean island, Azi waits every day for him to return. The arrival of a nesting turtle and a tall sandy dog convinces Azi that it must mean that Grandfather is on his way. As Azi digs deeper into the past, he begins to unravel hidden secrets and starts to find out just how alike he and his grandfather really are. And without him, Azi knows he will never feel complete…