The Boy Who Sprouted Antlers

It is nearly the summer holidays and Billy Dexter and his classmates are trying to finish their wicker baskets. Their craft teacher, Miss Beddows, is so appalled by Billy’s efforts that she keeps him in after class for a pep talk. ‘As long as you set your mind on something and try hard enough, there’s nothing you can’t do.’ Billy loves the idea that he can do anything, but his friends, Melanie and Paul, don’t agree. ‘What about growing horns?’ suggests Melanie. It is a challenge Billy has to accept.

Brimming with humour and written in John Yeoman’s matter-of-fact style, this story from 1961 is vividly illustrated with Quentin Blake’s inimitable drawings. It was the second in a long line of collaborations between John Yeoman and Quentin Blake, following soon after their first, A Drink of Water.