BOOK OF THE MONTH
“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” By Charlie Mackesy
A beautiful presentation book….
What makes a book beautiful? – Is it the dust jacket? Its cover? Its spine?
Maybe its edges (actually named head-edge, fore-edge, and tail-edge), or the frontispiece and dedication page. Maybe the typeface or illustrations? Or its message? Maybe other things?
Looking at a copy of the fifth anniversary limited edition of the global best seller by British author and artist Charlie Mackesy’s 2019 graphic novel, “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse,” anyone would say it’s (Yes!) a beautiful book.
It could be even gorgeous! The book has all of these things.
Gilded edges, an illustrated frontispiece that simply says, “I’m glad we’re all here,” a page dedicating this edition to its readers, a unique cursive font, pen-and-ink illustrations splashed with watercolors — and a plethora of poignant messages.
Mostly set in a snowy, winter wilderness (unlike the “Hundred Acre Wood” in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories), this book stars four protagonists.
Beginning with a small curious boy on an emotional odyssey, searching for a home he’s never had before, the boy finds the “wild” like life: frightening, but beautiful.
Venturing off alone, he meets a tiny mole, thus beginning the first of many lessons the little boy learns and shares.
The mole laments that he is “so small,” but the boy reminds him, “…but you make a huge difference.” Their friendship cements over a series of questions and thoughtful answers as they meet “the wild.”
Just as the mole mentions fear, the fox appears; however, he is dragging a trap on his hind paw and admits to the mole, “If I wasn’t caught in this snare, I’d kill you.” Nevertheless, the mole “chewed through the wire with his tiny teeth,” and eventually, the fox saves the mole from drowning. Then they are three.
A horse soon joins them, remarking “Everyone is a bit scared, but we’re all scared together.” At one point, in fact, the horse asks, “We all need a reason to keep going. What’s yours?”
The fox answers, “You three.”
“Getting home,” said the boy, and “Cake,” answers the mole, who has previously lamented that he is a bit greedy for cake.
The horse ultimately admits that he can fly but says he quit because the other horses were jealous. “Well, we love you whether you can fly, or not, said the boy.”
The foursome weather a storm, but afterward, as this story of love, friendship, kindness, and hope comes to its conclusion, the final thought, not credited to anyone in particular, states, “Home isn’t always a place, is it?”
Savor the Flavor
TBTMTFATH isn’t to be hurried through.
Page-after-page of thought-provoking ideas and illustrations are richly developed through these characters Mackesy admits are a compilation of himself: lonely and feeling ordinary like the boy, wary and hurt by life like the fox, greedy like the mole, and gentle like the horse.
Although listed as a children’s book, the author advises that it is meant for readers eight through eighty.
A taste:
- “Isn’t it odd, we can only see our outsides, but nearly everything happens on the inside.”
- “Often the hardest person to forgive is yourself.”
- “Tears fall for a reason, and they are your strength not weakness.”
- “Is your glass half empty or half full? asked the mole.” “I think I’m grateful to have a glass,” said the boy.”
For those who read and enjoy this book, ponder this question: Who Is the wisest?
Enjoy!
About the author: Growing up in Northumberland, England, Charlie Macksey began his career as a cartoonist, eventually moving to a book illustrator for the Oxford University Press. Also, a sculptor in bronze and an artist, he published The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse in 2019.
Besides numerous British awards, TBTMTFATH was listed on the New York Times best seller list for 63 weeks.
“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” Fifth Anniversary Limited Edition: The Global Bestseller was published by HarperOne in 2024.
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Read About Last Month’s Selection Here
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— Kay Bradshaw Holland is a retired English teacher and writes book reviews for the Concho Observer.
