The Book of Legends: A hilarious and fast-paced quest adventure from bestselling comedian Lenny Henry

Product Information

I thought Bran and Fran are such fantastic children and it is great seeing sign language interwoven into this story - not many books have this! But four years on, history repeats itself when Mum disappears in similar circumstances, apparently taken by a fork of lightning. Henry's first book for children is as funny as might be expected but it's also quietly thoughtful and poignant, examining ideas of heritage, family, love and belonging in a way that lifts the Chosen One troupe out of the territory of cliché. This book is as laugh-out-loud funny as you’d expect, but it’s also packed with super-charged thrills, characters you really care about and a whole lot of heart. I really do admire the children's bravery and was happy to find out what really happened to their parents!

Lenny is a strong advocate for diversity, is the author of The Boy With Wings , and has co-written the book Access All Areas: The Diversity Manifesto for TV and Beyond . Lenny Henry ensures his stories have strong black representation and this novel has two strong and adventurous heroes with the twins. He co-hosted the children's programme Tiswas from 1978 until 1981, and subsequently performed and wrote for the show Three of a Kind, with comedians Tracey Ullman and David Copperfield. In both this and his first children’s book, ‘The Boy With Wings’, Henry focuses upon young black characters, and is consciously addressing the lack of diversity in children’s literature. Yet it turns out that her stories serve as a portal to a another world: the Nine Dominions Along the way they face evil princes, murder fairies, mud monsters and even Vikings!The following year he appeared with Norman Beaton in LWT's sitcom The Fosters, Britain's first comedy series with predominantly black performers. Following the mysterious disappearance four years ago of their father, twelve-year-old twins Bran and Fran are living with their mum in a small Midlands town.

His formative years were spent in working men's clubs, where his act was as a young black man impersonating white characters such as the Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em character Frank Spencer (whom he impersonated on New Faces).

In 2018 the BBC broadcast The Lenny Henry Birthday Show, looking back on Lenny’s career to commemorate his 60th birthday. Perfect for fans of fast-paced adventures, The Book of Legends, from comedian Lenny Henry is a laugh-out-loud magical story for 8-12 year olds, illustrated throughout by the incredibly talented Keenon Ferrell. A superbly fun and witty story about stories and storytelling with wonderfully diverse representation - Twins Bran and Fran attend a British Sign Language school; Bran is deaf. While intended for readers aged 8 and older, I feel that like many Middle Grade books it will appeal to readers of all ages.

In his drive for greater inclusivity, the author was inspired to learn sign language himself and to feature a deaf character in the form of Bran.Luckily, the twins have Wilma, the Wizard's Wife, and Zachary, a wisecracking Zebracorn, to help them solve the mystery surrounding their parents’ disappearance. The Book of Legends by Lenny Henry Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins was a wonderful and What if all the stories were real? Henry studied for an MA at Royal Holloway, University of London in screenwriting for television and film, where he received a distinction and where he is now studying for a PhD on the role of black people in the media. Henry is associated with the British Comic Relief charity organisation, along with his former wife, comedienne Dawn French, and Griff Rhys Jones, and has hosted the show and also presented filmed reports from overseas on the work of the charity. His earliest television appearance was on the New Faces talent show, which he won in 1975 with an impersonation of Stevie Wonder.

The twins travel from their home through mystical lands, facing many adversaries from wicked fairies to Viking warriors, and meet lots of new friends along the way, such as the fabulous Zebracorn.But when their mum’s treasured storybook turns out to be a portal to another world full of mythical legends, everything changes.