The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

by Charlie Mackesy

HarperOne, 2019, 128 pages, Graphic Novel

In the tradition of A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh, illustrator Charlie Mackesy tells the story of an unnamed boy who wanders in the wilderness much like Christopher Robin. As he wanders, he runs into a mole, then a fox, and finally a horse. The mole is fond of cake; the fox is silent, but needs a friend; the horse has gotten used to hiding how special he is from the world. The four form a strong friendship as they wander and talk.

You may have seen Charlie Mackesy’s artwork on Instagram, or seen this book on the New York Times bestseller lists. Although I read it straight through, this is really a compilation of Mackesy’s inspirational artwork, and can be read in little chunks, in any order. Each page contains one of Mackesy’s ink and watercolor drawings, complete with an inspirational quote. The best-known is an ink drawing with the caption, "What is the bravest thing you’ve ever said? asked the boy. “Help.” said the horse. My personal favorite was captioned, “The greatest illusion,” said the mole, “is that life should be perfect.” followed with a penciled-in note from the author that the drawing is extra smeared because his dog walked over the drawing.

Whether you skip around and read this in little chunks, or read it as if it’s telling a story, this book is a nice source of peace, positivity, and hopefulness.

MB