What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’

“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” is a book written and illustrated by Charlie Mackesy. Written for children and adults alike, it is a story that follows a boy on a journey in which he makes unlikely friends with a mole, a fox, and a horse.
The book is written as a series of life lessons, sprinkled with subtle and heartwarming humor, as the boy moves through the story. It talks about the values of life and the things that matter, as little conversations between the boy and the friends he meets along the way.
The entire book is handwritten by Mackesy alongside the illustrations, making the experience of reading it feel very personal to the reader. Snippets of him working on the drawings and his writing process can be found on his Instagram.
Given its formats as a collection of quotes and self-contained lessons, it is something that can be read in snippets and returned to, like a friend waiting to pick up where you left off.
Above all, it instills in the reader a sense of warmth and hope, making it a worthwhile read every time you immerse yourself in it. This fact is typified by the mole’s assertion: “We often wait for kindnes … but being kind to yourself can start now.”