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emma's Reviews > The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
by
by
emma's review
bookshelves: graphic-novel, owned, non-ya, 4-and-a-half-stars, recommend, reviewed, reread
Jan 10, 2020
bookshelves: graphic-novel, owned, non-ya, 4-and-a-half-stars, recommend, reviewed, reread
Read 3 times. Last read April 6, 2023.
It is impossible not to like this book. It’s entirely made up of charming illustrations and great handwriting and beautiful sentences and jokes about cake. It gives you zero chance to dislike it.
I wish I could dislike it, because I have a very cold and mean soul and it would be very on brand for me to hate something that Chris Evans, Captain America himself, called the most beautiful book/Christmas gift possible and the marketing copy calls “hope in uncertain times.”
But alas. I had no chance.
This is the kind of book that you read in 20 minutes and then immediately hand to someone else, who then wants to lend your copy to someone but can’t because they aren’t a monster and instead buys 10 copies to keep on hand as gifts that seem personal but really aren’t.
This giftiness is both the best thing about this and the worst.
At some points this feels more like a collection of quotes than anything else, which is sad because I liked other things about this - the boy, the mole, the fox, and the horse, namely. And I could get inspirational feel-good quotes anywhere (including on this site, by the thousands).
Still, though - this wasn’t perfect, but it came pretty close.
Bottom line: Captain America was right about this one.
------------------
pre-review
"I got you a delicious cake," said the mole.
"Did you?"
"Yes."
"Where is it?"
"I ate it," said the mole.
"Oh."
"But I got you another."
"Did you? Where is that one?"
"The same thing seems to have happened."
needless to say i loved this so much it broke me in half.
review to come / 4 stars
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currently-reading updates
i don't know anything about this book but it looks like it's going to make me cry
I wish I could dislike it, because I have a very cold and mean soul and it would be very on brand for me to hate something that Chris Evans, Captain America himself, called the most beautiful book/Christmas gift possible and the marketing copy calls “hope in uncertain times.”
But alas. I had no chance.
This is the kind of book that you read in 20 minutes and then immediately hand to someone else, who then wants to lend your copy to someone but can’t because they aren’t a monster and instead buys 10 copies to keep on hand as gifts that seem personal but really aren’t.
This giftiness is both the best thing about this and the worst.
At some points this feels more like a collection of quotes than anything else, which is sad because I liked other things about this - the boy, the mole, the fox, and the horse, namely. And I could get inspirational feel-good quotes anywhere (including on this site, by the thousands).
Still, though - this wasn’t perfect, but it came pretty close.
Bottom line: Captain America was right about this one.
------------------
pre-review
"I got you a delicious cake," said the mole.
"Did you?"
"Yes."
"Where is it?"
"I ate it," said the mole.
"Oh."
"But I got you another."
"Did you? Where is that one?"
"The same thing seems to have happened."
needless to say i loved this so much it broke me in half.
review to come / 4 stars
------------------
currently-reading updates
i don't know anything about this book but it looks like it's going to make me cry
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Reading Progress
January 10, 2020
–
Started Reading
January 10, 2020
– Shelved
January 10, 2020
–
Finished Reading
September 26, 2022
–
Started Reading
September 26, 2022
–
Finished Reading
April 6, 2023
–
Started Reading
April 6, 2023
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-36 of 36 (36 new)
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message 1:
by
Melissa
(new)
Jan 10, 2020 09:18AM
The picture on the cover is so adorable
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Melissa wrote: "The picture on the cover is so adorable"somehow the book is even adorable-er
You "loved this book so much it broke [you] in half", but you gave it four stars? I despair about ratings. I loved it too.
Jan wrote: "You "loved this book so much it broke [you] in half", but you gave it four stars? I despair about ratings. I loved it too."4.5 stars! i'll elaborate in my review, but it sometimes felt like a book of quotes more than a story, and for a 5-star rating i needed More. (i am prone to exaggeration, though - no breaking in half occurred :p)
I want to frame so many of its pages across my hallway just so everyone who visits can read some parts of the book
I’ve been buying and sending copies to people for weeks since I discovered this book. Glad to know I’m not alone.
i love this review; i just finished it up this morning and i agree with everything you said!
Sharmila wrote: "I want to frame so many of its pages across my hallway just so everyone who visits can read some parts of the book"oh that's a lovely idea
Tifanee wrote: "I’ve been buying and sending copies to people for weeks since I discovered this book. Glad to know I’m not alone."it's endlessly giftable that is for sure
Angelina wrote: "i love this review; i just finished it up this morning and i agree with everything you said!"woo!
I really loved this….so cute!!
Angela wrote: "I really loved this….so cute!!"so cute!
This, precisely this.
Emily wrote: "This, precisely this.":)
Honestly a great wholesome and quick read. I wouldn't blame you for re-reading it multiple times. Wishing you happiness and good fortune for the rest of the year!
I haven't read it yet, but I've received it as a gift....hmmm sensing a theme here. Lol
I listened to the author read this book on audiotape while reading along. He narrates the pictures that you don’t see with audio. It is a beautiful book.
I didn't really like it. My soul must be colder than yours.
I bought it after I watched the also lovely movie. Finally read it.
Julia wrote: "I bought it after I watched the also lovely movie. Finally read it."it's nice!
Erika wrote: "I didn't really like it. My soul must be colder than yours."wow
Monica wrote: "This is the best review.":')
Cathy wrote: "What a perfect review!"thank you!
Dawne McConnaughhay wrote: "I listened to the author read this book on audiotape while reading along. He narrates the pictures that you don’t see with audio. It is a beautiful book."that's lovely
Shannon wrote: "I haven't read it yet, but I've received it as a gift....hmmm sensing a theme here. Lol"love seein that five star.....
Jessie wrote: "Honestly a great wholesome and quick read. I wouldn't blame you for re-reading it multiple times. Wishing you happiness and good fortune for the rest of the year!"so nice!!! thank you!
Is a beautiful. The pictutue on the the cover is so adorable.
How to read this i am not getting option of read
Best to speak for yourself. I hated it. I'm an early literacy educator and I will never read this book to children. If you know anything about what makes for a great children's story (eg. Winnie the Pooh and Charlotte's Web) you'd understand that this one fails miserably in every way. Other 1/5 reviewers here have gone to great detail listing them so I recommend you consider reading them.
Halyna wrote: "Best to speak for yourself. I hated it. I'm an early literacy educator and I will never read this book to children. If you know anything about what makes for a great children's story (eg. Winnie th..."have you tried taking yourself less seriously
Klug wrote: "Is a beautiful. The pictutue on the the cover is so adorable."
true!
"Best to speak for yourself." This is an individual's GoodReads review, ma'am.
Great review, Emma! Damn, Mackesy had a touching comment on every page. The only thing I didn't like about this is that there was no character development whatsoever, and neither is there a structured plot.
Amazing review (as always), and I definitely agree with all of your viewpoints here! Only thing I’m a little confused on is the Captain America thing. Was this on his things to catch up on list or something?
