In a new edition of Quentin Blake’s classic, the UK’s first Children’s Laureate tells a droll tale about love between unconventional birds of a feather—and the unforeseen rewards of letting go.
On her way to the village after a blustery storm, Angela Bowling stumbles upon a baby bird blown from his nest. “Oh goodness!” she exclaims. She scoops him up and off to home they go. She names the bird Augustus, wraps him in shawls, takes him around in a stroller, and feeds him only the best: warm milk, creamed carrots, and chocolate eclairs. After all, Augustus is now her loveykins, isn’t he? Under Angela’s coddling, Augustus grows bigger and bigger, until at last he needs his own special garden shed. But after another fateful gale, Angela is in for a shock when she discovers her loveykins finally spreading his wings. Told in Quentin Blake’s distinctive art style and quirky humor, this much-loved picture book—soon to be adapted for television by the BBC—is a charming lesson in how care, camaraderie, and letting go can help any creature, big or small, to soar.
Sir Quentin Blake is one of the world’s foremost illustrators, particularly renowned for his collaboration with writers such as Russell Hoban, Michael Rosen, Joan Aiken, and Roald Dahl. His books have won numerous awards, including the Whitbread Children’s Book Award, the Kate Greenaway Medal, and the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration. In 1999 he was appointed the first UK Children’s Laureate, in 2005 he was named a Commander of the British Empire (CBE), in 2013 he received a knighthood for his services to illustration, and in 2023 he was made a Companion of Honor. He lives in South West London.
In a new edition of Quentin Blake’s classic, the UK’s first Children’s Laureate tells a droll tale about love between unconventional birds of a feather—and the unforeseen rewards of letting go.
On her way to the village after a blustery storm, Angela Bowling stumbles upon a baby bird blown from his nest. “Oh goodness!” she exclaims. She scoops him up and off to home they go. She names the bird Augustus, wraps him in shawls, takes him around in a stroller, and feeds him only the best: warm milk, creamed carrots, and chocolate eclairs. After all, Augustus is now her loveykins, isn’t he? Under Angela’s coddling, Augustus grows bigger and bigger, until at last he needs his own special garden shed. But after another fateful gale, Angela is in for a shock when she discovers her loveykins finally spreading his wings. Told in Quentin Blake’s distinctive art style and quirky humor, this much-loved picture book—soon to be adapted for television by the BBC—is a charming lesson in how care, camaraderie, and letting go can help any creature, big or small, to soar.
Author
Sir Quentin Blake is one of the world’s foremost illustrators, particularly renowned for his collaboration with writers such as Russell Hoban, Michael Rosen, Joan Aiken, and Roald Dahl. His books have won numerous awards, including the Whitbread Children’s Book Award, the Kate Greenaway Medal, and the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration. In 1999 he was appointed the first UK Children’s Laureate, in 2005 he was named a Commander of the British Empire (CBE), in 2013 he received a knighthood for his services to illustration, and in 2023 he was made a Companion of Honor. He lives in South West London.
