The Boy, The Mole, The Fox And The Horse: A Review

If you are nearing sixty in age, to behave like a child is a real problem, but if you behave child-like, it can be a marvel. My first impressions of reading this book was that it was written by a teenager sharing his reflections on how he would like the world to be on growing up. It escaped my attention that the accompanying sketches in the book might, however, be too refined for even a child prodigy to draw. So, I was pleasantly surprised, on checking, that author Charlie Mackesy had left his teenage years some four decades ago.

Charlie is undoubtedly accomplished and gifted. In his magical sketch book laced with a few lines of prose, Charlie builds the story of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse who find and discover each other in the depths of wilderness. The lost boy is eager to get home and has the other three for company.

This is a story woven with strands of friendship, courage, kindness and a host of virtues that can make life very worthwhile. The book is a treasure chest of simple and heart-warming quotes. On one occasion the boy asks the mole “What is success?” to which the mole replies “To love.” Elsewhere in the book, Charlie leaves the reader wondering when he writes “Home isn’t always a place is it?” Ask a mystic the same question and the answer you can expect is that “Creation is my home.”

This is a really short read, which you can indulge in over and over again. If you would like to relive your childhood or are simply in pursuit of beauty, you will definitely want to stop by and park yourself here.

All images courtesy: Charlie Mackesy, Penguin Random House, U.K.

Shakti Saran is an Inclusive World Citizen, Writer and Senior Fellow at PYXERA Global. All views expressed are his own.