When Thomas Frost comes to believe that his father wants him dead, it is a poem from a children's book that gives him hope. Thomas steals away during the night in a desperate attempt to find the fabled "Nod's Island".What he doesn't realize is just how closely his father's associates trail him, and how much danger his very presence puts his friends in. For within' Thomas is a dark secret, bound in magic, eternally tying him to his father, and slowly stripping him of his humanity.At its heart Children of Clay is about growing up-and the consequences of avoiding growing up. At times it is a humorous reflection on the carelessness of childhood, at other times it is full of adventure and wonder, and once it's got your guard down, it surprises you with genuine horror.