The Boy With Wings

by Sir Lenny Henry, Keenon Ferrell (Illustrator), Mark Buckingham (Illustrator)

Overview

It's Tunde's twelfth birthday and he's in for a surprise . . . he sprouts wings! Along with his friends, Tunde must save the world. Readers will adore Lenny Henry's first middle grade book, The Boy with Wings, that's packed with captivating illustrations by Keenon Ferrell. Plus, it includes an exclusive comic book adventure illustrated by Mark Buckingham!

An ordinary kid is about to become an EXTRAORDINARY hero!
Wings? Check.
A super-cool, super-secret past? Check.
An impossible mission to save the world from a fur-ocious enemy? Check.

When Tunde sprouts wings and learns he’s all that stands between Earth and total destruction, suddenly school is the least of his problems. Luckily, his rag-tag group of pals have got his back, and with his new powers, Tunde is ready to fly in the face of danger.
So what if he can’t even stand up to the school bully? He’s the boy with wings – this is his destiny.
No pressure then. . .

This illustrated book also includes an exclusive comic in the back!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781524884710
Publisher:	Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication date:	06/27/2023
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.70(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	800L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Lenny Henry has been a comedian since the age of 16. He has risen from being a cult star on children’s television to becoming one of Britain’s best-known comedians, as well as a writer, philanthropist, and award-winning actor. Henry's Production Company, Douglas Road, has achieved success in partnership with Burning Bright on the recently acclaimed The Commonwealth Kid documentary and has a host of other programs in the pipeline. As a co-founder of Comic Relief, Henry has helped raise £1 billion for various causes over the last 30 years. He has been a Trustee of the National Theatre since February 2016 and was awarded a Knighthood in 2015 for services to drama and charity. 

In autumn 2019 Faber published Henry's memoir “Who Am I, Again?” around which he wrote a live show that toured the UK for two months. Henry is writing a follow-up memoir, two books on the topic of diversity, and a series of children's books published through Pan Macmillan. Lenny will also be writing his own TV drama series through 2022 and is starring in Amazon's adaptation of Lord of The Rings. This is Lenny Henry's first book available in North America.

Keenon Ferrell is an illustrator and animator based in New York, New York. He makes artwork inspired by music, fashion and sports. He also has a love for storytelling, fantasy and history which can be seen throughout his work. Keenon’s clients include Netflix, Capital One, StoryCorps and Sony Music Entertainment, to name a few.

Mark Buckingham has been creating comics for thirty-five years, building a reputation for design, storytelling, and a chameleon-like diversity of art styles. He is best known as the regular artist on Bill Willingham’s multiple-award-winning Fables series and for his work with Neil Gaiman on Miracleman, Sandman, and Death. He previously collaborated with Lenny Henry on his memoir Who Am I, Again?.

Editorial Reviews

2023-04-24
In actor and comedian Henry’s latest, an adopted 12-year-old English boy has an epic adventure after discovering his origin story.

As one of the few Black kids at his primarily White school, Tunde Wilkinson often feels like an outsider, but his adoptive parents, Ron and Ruth (British Caribbean), make sure to show him examples of influential Black people so that he knows he is capable of anything. He has his close-knit group of friends—Jiah Patel (cued as Indian), Kylie Collins (who is assumed White and uses a wheelchair), and Nev Carter (cued as Black). This supportive community becomes vital after Tunde disobeys his parents’ wishes never to play sports because it would risk his safety. During a game, Tunde sprouts wings, shocking everyone and unveiling his identity to the alien species looking for him. With the truth revealed, Tunde and his friends are tasked with preventing intergalactic war and ensuring lasting peace. This is a funny, fast-paced story with an authentic voice; the use of wacky, emphasized fonts will immediately hook readers. Children will be invested in Tunde’s attempts to lead with kindness and be courageous in the face of adversity. The illustrations are detailed but simple enough to inspire young artists to re-create their own adventures with Tunde and his friends. Tunde’s exploits continue at the end with a comic book feature written by Henry and illustrated by Buckingham, hinting at more to come for the dynamic group.

A thrilling tale brimming with spirit. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews