The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

Charlie Mackesy

Oct 2019 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

Charlie Mackesy’s beloved The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse has been adapted into an Academy Award® winning animated short film, now available to stream on Apple TV+

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER · WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER  · USA TODAY BESTSELLER

“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.”- Elizabeth Egan, The New York Times

From British illustrator, artist, and author Charlie Mackesy comes a journey 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, following the tale of a curious boy, a greedy mole, a wary fox and a wise horse who find themselves together in sometimes difficult terrain, sharing their greatest fears and biggest discoveries about vulnerability, kindness, hope, friendship and love. The shared adventures and important conversations between the four friends are full of life lessons that have connected with readers of all ages. 

Ratings and reviews

Simple in it's poignance. Penetrating. Hits on all the feels. Casts a vision not only of what the world is, but also what it could be, because we live and love in it. 6/5 stars.

What an incredible joy to read this! I was anticipating every next word and lesson to be learned. The illustrations are so simple and yet so breathtaking. I want to study every nuance of every illustration. Not a cursory glance, but a studying of the characters in each moment of the writing. Bravo!

This is a gift from God I wish the author was more prolific. I would love more, Charlie! More than that I would love to meet you in person! What an amazing person you have to be!

About the author

Charlie Mackesy began sharing conversations between the boy, the mole, the fox and the horse on his social media channels in early 2018. He published The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse in late 2019 and the book has since brought comfort and joy to over seven million readers worldwide. After two years of collaborative work, in 2022, the short film adaptation of the book will be released alongside The Book of the Film. Charlie collaborates with a number of charities, including Comic Relief—he created the iconic “Love Wins” t-shirt—as well as the NHS, Choose Love, WWF and The Samaritans. During the pandemic he donated prints, books, drew on hospital walls, and posted messages of support to NHS workers, which he continues. Charlie began his career as a cartoonist for The Spectator and a book illustrator for Oxford University Press. He spent time in America as a portrait painter and ran art therapy workshops for Alzheimer's sufferers and Holocaust survivors. He lived and painted in South Africa, and collaborated with Nelson Mandela on a lithograph project, "The Unity Series." And worked with Richard Curtis on the set of Love Actually to create a set of drawings to be auctioned for Comic Relief. Away from art, Charlie co-runs a social enterprise, Mama Buci in Zambia. His work features in books, private collections and public spaces, including Highgate Cemetery in London, in hospitals, prisons, churches, and university colleges around the UK, and in women's safe houses around the world. He lives in Suffolk with his dog Barney.