a new coat for ben
written by Rachel Davey & Toby Macklin
Published by “Co-create Ltd” Nicosia, Cyprus, April 2003
Published in Turkish “Ben Hur’ un Yeni Kiyafesti”, in Greek, «Ο Μπέν Αλλάζει Φορεσιά»
Excerpts courtesy of Rachel Davey & Toby Macklin and Co-Create Ltd
IBBY Honor List 2006
International Board on Books for Young People Honor List 2006 for the quality of the illustrations
Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth
Literature Awards 2004
Cyprus Ministry of Culture and Education Literature Awards 2004 Illustration State Prize for an illustrated children’s book
50 years ago, a party to welcome Ben Hur from England.
In the winter Ben was deluged by terrific storms. In summer the hot sun blistered down.
Ben grew old. His joints got stiff, his paint peeled.
One day a little boy…noticed a brass plaque on the horse’s chest.
He dreamed of horses racing, their hooves pounding on the turf.
He jumped straight out of bed and turned on the computer.
Every day the boy visited Ben in the park and whispered in the horse’s ear.
George had never been abroad before. He’d never heard of one of their horses this far from home.
By the middle of the next day George had put up his big tent around Ben.
But the little boy was allowed inside the tent.
The work went on for a week, and then a notice appeared on the park gates.
His paint gleamed, his joints didn’t creak, and he felt young again.