Alone!

By Barry Falls

There once was a boy called Billy McGill who lived by himself at the top of a hill. He spent every day in his house all alone for Billy McGill liked to be on his own.

But life doesn't always turn out how you plan it…

This brilliant book is a laugh-out-loud tale of growing chaos, with a subtle message about how it's good to have friends.

Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2022!

One day Billy hears the squeak of a mouse – destroying his perfectly peaceful existence. So he gets a cat to catch the mouse. But the cat and the mouse make friends. So he gets a dog to chase the cat. But they all play together too. So then he gets a bear … then a tiger … and on it goes, until Billy's house is so filled with characters that he has to move out. Will he find that he still craves peace and quiet, or is it actually quite lovely to have company and friends?

The brilliant second book from Barry Falls is a laugh-out-loud tale of growing chaos, with a heart-warming message about how it's good to have friends.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Mar 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9781843655107

Barry Falls

Barry Falls grew up in rural Northern Ireland, where he spent a lot of time drawing pictures and writing stories to go with them. When he got to art college in Belfast, he discovered that he might be able to do such a thing for a living, and was very excited. Since then, he's been working as a commercial illustrator, and picking up multiple awards for the work he does for such clients as The New York Times, American Airlines, The Telegraph, Laurence King Publishing and many more besides. His work has appeared in magazines, books, exhibitions, on textiles and homeware, and in advertising campaigns around the world. His first book, It's Your World Now! was published in 2019.

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