For Children between the ages 4â??8. First published in 1964, Hughesâ?? creation fables await discovery by a new generation in this beautiful edition. From his lyrical introduction, describing the brand new world...

"the flowers jumped up and stared around, astonished. Then...creatures began to appear"

USA - Buy How the Whale Became
UK - Buy How the Whale Became

Hughes moves on to tell his classic stories about how individual creatures came to be, the whale that began as a garden plant, the power-hungry owl ostracized by its peers, the handsome, clever cat, lazy but talented and so on.

Hughes balances these fantastic stories with a notion children will find inspiring. Despite the fantastic stories, some animals became what they wanted to be simply by will and hard work...
"Some wanted to become finches, some wanted to become lions, some wanted to become other things. The ones that wanted to become lions practiced at being lions and by and by, sure enough, they began to turn into lions."

Hughesâ?? prose, both comical and elegantly spare, finds a worthy match in Morrisâ?? lavish, detailed watercolors. Stunning spreads and border illustrations celebrate each animalâ??s beauty, endowing the creatures with irresistible personalities like the lounging cat playing the violin. A volume to treasure.