Review: The Boy with Wings

Sir Lenny Henry, is a British comedian, award-winning actor, singer, television presenter and writer. In his first children’s book, The Boy with Wings, he shows how talented and versatile he continues to be.

An extremely clever, imaginative adventure story unfolds like a fan; humorous, powerful and gripping, with prose that promises the read of the year.

Tunde always felt like a stone in somebody’s shoe.

It is his twelfth birthday. He was adopted as a baby by Ruth and Ron who work in The Facility, a laboratory and testing site for the creation of genetically modified fruit and vegies. A happy, well -adjusted boy, his eclectic friends had taken a long time to find. They were like him; stand-out different.

His dark skin and beaky nose make him a magnet to bullies like the biggest one in class,the disgusting Quinn Patterson. In difficult times, his parents remind him of the famous people that looked like him and their achievements. This doesn’t help.

A modest party is in progress. His friends are there and a secret present awaits him for later when everyone has gone home.

Quinn and his cronies appear. He makes short work of squashing the cake and destroying the food. It is when he walks off with Tunde’s bike, a present from his parents, that Tunde loses it.

At exactly the same time, a single magpie sitting on the tree turns into a conventicle of magpies. They swoop on Quinn and his gang and send them running for their lives.

When The Seeker arrives, Tunde is forced to question his life and past.

Who is Tunde? What is really going on in the hidden areas of The Facility?

With his new found powers and the help of his friends, Tunde must face his destiny and become the instrument of peace in the greatest adventure and supreme revelation of his life.

This is not a sequential storyline. It surprises with twists and turns. The unexpected, flights of fancy, fantasy and stylish layers of creative dialogue and narration, support a multi-dimensional extravagance.

Sharp black and white illustrations by Keenon Ferrell reflect the characters and their reality.

An added bonus of a comic book adventure waits at the end.

This gift of Henry’s is given wings, just like his hero, Tunde.

Title: The Boy with Wings
Author: Lenny Henry
Illustrator: Keenan Ferrell
Publisher: Macmillan, $ 16.99
Publication Date: 12 October 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781529077315
For ages: 10 – 14
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/3Gw0pUq