I have been asked for this book SO many times when working at the book shop. It’s one that people receive as a gift then come and buy it themselves to give to someone else. Feeling left out I had to give it a read.
The Boy, The Mole – the Blurb
Enter the world of Charlie’s four unlikely friends, discover their story and their most important life lessons.
The conversations of the boy, the mole, the fox and the horse have been shared thousands of times online, recreated in school art classes, hung on hospital walls and turned into tattoos. In Charlie’s first book, you will find his most-loved illustrations and some new ones too.
The Fox, the mole, the boy?
For a long time I couldn’t remember the title of the book. Usually a vague reference to the characters in some order or ‘The Charlie Mackesy’ one would suffice. Reading the book really helps with this as the characters are introduced in title order. But really, even if you refer to the book as ‘the boy, the horse, the dog, the frog’, people are probably going to know which one you are on about.
Mackesy is an artist (a bloody good one at that) and naturally his artwork shines through in the hardback beautifully presented book. The writing, sparse, sometimes only a sentence, more than matches the artwork and the two together are simply stunning. The message is of kindness, love and friendship delivered in such a simple yet beautiful form. There is humor and warmth (I mean who doesn’t raise a smile at a cake loving mole?) and it is the perfect tonic to the situation we all find ourselves in right now. If you’re not a reader, it doesn’t even take much to read it. It’s also a book that spans generations. Grandmas will love it as much as daughters, as uncles, as Great Grandads.
Buy one, no two, no three!
We all NEED this book in our lives. Go out and buy it for someone you love. Well maybe stay in and order it online instead. Then make sure you buy another copy for yourself. Savour its pages, take comfort in them. Return to it at times of darkness. It will offer solace, it will offer hope, it will make you believe you can get through whatever the world has thrown at you.
