A sparkly little gem for young and old: The strange and unlikely tale of Montgomery, The Mysterious Bird of Mystery by Antony Elworthy

On Tuesday 19th November, world renowned animator and Christchurch local Antony Elworthy presented his first children’s novel: 

The Strange and Unlikely Tale of Montgomery, the Mysterious Bird of Mystery

Scorpio Books hosted the book launch and Tomasita, a family friend, introduced the children’s book. The choice of a longtime friend, instead of the publisher illustrated the informal, spontaneous and accessible character of both the event and the author, Antony Elworthy. She shared some intimate stories about him that a classic book launch couldn’t possibly provide, and we got a glimpse of the man behind the artist and writer.

In addition to world fame as an animator (collaborations with Tim Burton, Guillermo del Toro), he is the creative brain behind Kiri and Lou, a loving husband and a father of four sons, with a heart for trees.

Tomasita read some excerpts from the book, and the already eager and excited audience got even more enthusiastic. After the introduction, Antony provided some background anecdotes on how the story came about. His sons were a major part of inspiration, as he recalled past holidays and long car journeys, where he had to entertain them with stories. It was the ideal opportunity to show that Dad, actually, had an exciting life before fatherhood threw everything upside down. The chequered career as an artist and its challenges inspired him to choose a magician as a protagonist and let fantasy run wild. 

Writing took place in between takeson animated feature films, while colleagues would pass time playing ping-pong. A member of the audience quipped that, in fact, unlike his colleagues, Antony is not a gifted player, and this probably explains why he wrote a book instead.  The evening was joyful and warm, and I left with that fluffy feeling of a child, impatient to open Santa’s presents. But does The strange and Unlikely tale of Montgomery, the Mysterious Bird of Mystery live up to its expectations?

The answer is a resolute Yes! Antony Elsworthy introduces us to Gramps, a lively, cheeky grandfather, a bigger than life raconteur, and his grandson, who visits him weekly at his rest home. Gramps takes us on an adventure, where artistic differences with his collaborator, a nasty, wicked and ambitious bird lead to impossible predicaments. The story is both endearing, witty and magic. The illustrations are also by Antony’s hand and complement and enhance the text beautifully. The book combines all the ingredients of a classic and reminds us that magic is all around us, just take the time to look beyond the screen of your mobile phone or other device.  The strange and Unlikely Tale of Montgomery, the Mysterious Bird of Mystery is a page-turner and a must read for everyone between 0-99 years old.

Tanya Michils
Matuku Takotako: Sumner Centre