Alex approached me some while ago with his manuscript, which I agreed to read and thoroughly enjoyed.

The story, which is a kind of whimsical, modern-day fairy tale that features a cast of colourful characters, touches on important issues like bullying, poor parenting and homelessness. But it does so in a non-threatening and engaging way.

The book’s central character, Roy Nuttersley is a young, ungainly lad who hasn’t had the best start in life. His parents are nothing short of hideous, and to make matters worse, he is plagued by school bullies led by the thoroughly unpleasant  Harry Hodges. Despite his hardships, Roy finds time to feed the birds in his garden, and by way of a thank you, the birds hatch a series of cunning plans to help their new friend. But, like so many things in life, these go horribly wrong and the lives of both Roy and Harry are turned upside down – but in a surprisingly good way.

George Layton