The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse

This book is one you can pick up and read with ease. It has a fluid plot line with thought provoking aspects through out. I would recommend to anyone who would like an easy read.

A book everyone should buy & a perfect book to give as a gift. I loved the illustrations throughout the book and Charles' words of wisdom. I follow him on Instagram & have watched the BBC documentary on his journey to write the book and produce the storyboard for the animated film. It's not a 'story', it's very open to interpretation & each page can be enjoyed as a stand alone 'poster'. Charlie makes you think, feel, and question how you treat others & respond to their comments. Enjoy.

Thought-provoking book suitable for all ages. It shows the open and honest relationships of friends. Beautiful illustrations as well.

A must-have for everyone. An uplifting book to show love, friendship and self-worth. Would be great to take as individual pages and quotes and explore in more depth - particularly KS2.

A new favourite of mine.

This book is so beautifully illustrated and it is to me a book that can be left and looked at many times. The journey of the boy meeting new friends and his search for wisdom is both comforting and a delight to read. One can familiarise with the advice and the challenges they face. Beautiful and like the Mole I love cake!

I’ve wanted to read this book for months, and thanks to a generous book voucher from one of my pupils this year, I decided this would be the perfect momento of a challenging year. It does not disappoint. Beautifully illustrated with page upon page of affirmations that just bring joy. Love it so much, and will continue to revisit and refer to it for years to come!

This book is like a warm and reassuring hug. Incredibly beautiful illustrations throughout. However, I feel like a stronger plot may make it more interesting for children possibly?

Wow. This book is GORGEOUS. Gorgeously written, gorgeously illustrated, with a gorgeous message. The introduction explains that even though this is a picture book, it is for all ages. It follows 4 entities that meet on a journey, each with their own personalities and outlooks on life. You come away from this book with a tear in your eye and a warm heart. And maybe some empathy for others. It is written and illustrated in pen and ink, so sometimes the font can be harder to read. But it is beautiful. So beautiful that you could frame the pages and put them on your wall. In fact, it is a book to own and treasure. I don't want to give it back! I would recommend this for all ages, but for younger readers it would need to be read to them, due to the style of the font used.

In my personal life as a parent, and my professional career as a teacher have reflected on and become well aware of the impact of the pandemic on children and young people’s health and wellbeing. The impact of “lock-down restrictions” have resulted in young people becoming deeply anxious, having panic attacks and losing motivation and hope for the future. I was recently given The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse as a gift, with its underpinning message of empathy and self-care. Charlie Mackesy’s poignant quiet and gentle picture book about life and friendship has captured the shared longing of our troubled times. I started reading the book one grey rainy afternoon and gradually felt the calming balm of a lyrical sensory uplifting experience flowing over me. In a mindfulness way I was gently moving me towards regaining an essence of joy and life in general. The illustrations and the words of wisdom act in perfect harmony. Expectations, healthy friendships and offering the reader an edifying reminder of how much common ground can be shared. As the horse says, “The truth is everyone is winging it” The profound wisdom within its pages speaks into our vulnerability, our struggles, and our deepest fears in face of life’s challenges, bringing comfort, connection and hope. This book will be useful for PSHE lessons, letting children develop their emotional literacy and their knowledge of holistic health and wellbeing. It can be a useful tool helping children to discuss and reflect on and express their thoughts and opinion, encouraging them to support their own views with reasoned debates. The book can be an important part of literacy enabling children to acquire reading fluency, which is important for understanding and depth comprehension. Children can be asked to link what they read to their own experiences, linking the text to the wider world. Most importantly the book leads children to, “live courageously for yourself and for others. And to ask for help when you need it – which is always a brave thing to do.”

This book is beautiful, soothing, kind and reassuring. The illustrations are stunning and leave you thinking long after the book has been closed. This book would appeal to all ages. It captures the idea of hope (something much needed in these current circumstances) and portrays being grateful, being kind and leaning on friends in a poetic and touching way. I truly believe everyone should read this book once (or many times) in their life.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Kind? Then digest this deceptively-simple book with its pen and ink drawings over many sittings, savour the morsels of philosophy and delight in the Mole's dive into a delectable cream cake (I hope Patisserie Valerie will sponsor me to perform a similar feat). Gently humorous, uplifting, comforting and inspiring, this book is a joy and a treasure. More, please.

Great stimulus for PSHE and art, Y5 really enjoyed digging down into the deeper meaning of many pages. Engaging for all ages, and there really is something that everyone can relate too. Everyone should have a copy.

Fantastic book, easy to read with great moral meaning within every page. At a time when all we're hearing is negative this book gives you hope.

So moving, nourishing, encouraging, calming, beautiful. A good for the soul book

Exceptional book. So much emotion, heart and soul. Lots of life lessons to learn for all ages old and young.

This book is a beautiful novel which has one great theme:be positive. The boy meets a mole, fox and horse who are trying to find a way to get back home. They end up becoming friends and they ask questions and tell each other inspiring quotes on the way. This is a book you MUST read and it's amazing!

I thought this book was really nice, it was teaching me about feelings, how i will always be loved. The pictures were amazing so clever how they was drawn. Will definitely read this book again.

I liked the mole best because he always talks about cake and in the illustrations he looks very cute. Overall I liked the book because of its friendship and courage topics. The story makes me feel cosy and safe. I would definitely recommend the book as it is lovely and one of my favourites.

It makes you believe in your self and that no matter who you are you will be loved for ever and ever