The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

This book is beautiful, kind, and sweet. The sentiment is inspiring and the drawings full of simple perfection invite the eye to linger on each page. This is the perfect book for a lazy day and a blanket, or a quick escape to lighten your mood and lift your spirit. Recommended By Steph C., Powells.com

From the revered British illustrator, a modern fable for all ages that explores life’s universal lessons, featuring 100 color and black-and-white drawings.
 
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” asked the mole.

“Kind,” said the boy.

Charlie Mackesy offers inspiration and hope in uncertain times in this beautiful book based on his famous quartet of characters. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse explores their unlikely friendship and the poignant, universal lessons they learn together.

Radiant with Mackesy’s warmth and gentle wit, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse blends hand-written narrative with dozens of drawings, including some of his best-loved illustrations (including “Help,” which has been shared over one million times) and new, never-before-seen material. A modern classic in the vein of The Tao of Pooh, The Alchemist, and The Giving Tree, this charmingly designed keepsake will be treasured for generations to come.

“The world that I am required to inhabit is this one. But the world that I long to inhabit is the one that Charlie Mackesy has created – a world of infinite kindness, wisdom, mutual care and tenderness, and true love between real friends. My prayer/hope is that our world will become more like this one. Mackesy – with tireless compassion – is showing us how.” Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic

"Love, friendship, and kindness--this book speaks a universal language." Bear Grylls

"A wonderful work of art and a wonderful window into the human heart" Richard Curtis

"Simply, the world need's Charlie's work right now." Miranda Hart

“A sweet tale rendered in swirly black calligraphy and watercolor. Childlike in its simplicity, its messages are universal... Mackesy has brought people together.” The Washington Post

“A lonely boy ambles through the countryside on a spring day, finding companionship: first meeting the mole, then the other animals of the title. As they walk, the new friends talk, wonder, share their hopes and fears and pose some big questions... A big hit.” The Philadelphia Inquirer

“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is not only a thought-provoking, discussion-worthy story, the book itself is an object of art.” New York Times

Charlie Mackesy was born during a snowy winter in Northumberland. He has been a cartoonist for The Spectator and a book illustrator for Oxford University Press. He has collaborated with Richard Curtis for Comic Relief, and Nelson Mandela on a lithograph project, “The Unity Series.” He has lived and painted in South Africa, Southern Africa and New Orleans, and co-runs a social enterprise, Mama Buci, in the Zambian copperbelt, which helps families of low and no income to become beekeepers. He lives in London.