The Boy, the Bird & the Coffin Maker

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Fish fly in Allora, a town set into the hills of an Italian folktale-esque countryside. But for all its magic, Allora is still recovering from a tragic plague that struck 30 years ago. This beautiful debut about moving through loss and opening your heart would make a wonderful read-aloud bedtime story. Recommended By Madeline S., Powells.com

Friendship and magical realism sparkle on the page in this heartwarming, delightfully eccentric illustrated middle-grade gem from an extraordinary new literary voice. Perfect for fans of A Snicker of Magic and The Penderwicks.

Alberto lives alone in the town of Allora, where fish fly out of the sea and the houses shine like jewels. He is a coffin maker and widower, spending his quiet days creating the final resting places of Allora’s people.

Then one afternoon a magical bird flutters into his garden, and Alberto, lonely inside, welcomes it into his home. And when a kindhearted boy named Tito follows the bird into Alberto’s kitchen, a door in the old man’s heart cracks open. Tito is lonely too – but he’s also scared and searching for a place to hide. Fleeing from danger, he just wants to feel safe for once in his life. Can the boy and the old man learn the power of friendship and escape the shadows of their pasts?

With a tender bond that calls to mind The Girl Who Drank the Moon, charming characters reminiscent of The Penderwicks, and the whimsy of A Snicker of Magic, this is a novel to curl up with, an extraordinary work of magical realism that makes the world feel like a warmer and happier place. Complete with dazzling interior illustrations, a gem from start to finish.

“Elegantly told from start to finish and enhanced by Allepuz’s evocative images and decorations, debut author Woods has created a fairy tale that will linger with readers.” Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“A lyrical and melancholy tale [filled with] atmospheric writing.” School Library Journal

“A beautifully written debut about recovering from grief and finding hope through an unlikely friendship. The writing itself is a gorgeous lyrical prose laced with magical realism, like a Gabriel García Márquez story for young readers.” BookTrust

Matilda Woods was born in 1989 and has been writing stories for the last seven years. She grew up in a small town near Canberra, Australia and splits her time between writing middle grade fiction and working as a youth worker. When she was younger she loved reading fantasy novels but now writes in the genre of magical realism.