I received THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX AND THE HORSE by Charlie Mackesy as a birthday present earlier this week and likely would never have picked it up on my own. What a little gem I’d have been missing. Especially in the time of Covid-19 and social distancing, I found many uplifting words of wisdom from a wise, little mole in this illustrated book:
“Imagine how we would be if we were less afraid.”
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“One of our greatest freedoms is how we react to things.”
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“I’ve learned how to be in the present.”
“How?” asked the boy.
“I find a quiet spot and shut my eyes and breathe.”
“That’s good. And then?”
“And then I focus.”
“What do you focus on?”
“Cake.” (This is a mole after my own heart!)
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“When the big things feel out of control, focus on what you love right under your nose.”
The artwork in THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX AND THE HORSE is very unique: at times polished and beautiful, and other times, as if unfinished (ovals still standing in for the horse’s face and flank, rough sketch lines, etc.). In either case, it was captivating and lovely all around.
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(A version of Melissa Crytzer Fry’s review of THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX AND THE HORSE by Charlie Mackesy was published at GoodReads on May 16, 2020. It is reposted here with permission of the reviewer.)
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