The Thing at 52

by Ross Montgomery

Illustrated by Richard Johnson

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The Thing at 52 is a beautiful picture book about friendship, loneliness and learning how to say goodbye.

Spark meaningful discussions about loneliness, friendship, community and coping with loss with this enchantingly illustrated story about a girl who befriends a monster.

There’s a Thing on my street.
He lives at number 52.
I see him sitting in his garden when I walk to school.

He was big and lumbering and a wore a tiny top hat perched on top of his rather large head. She didn’t think he had any friends, so she brought him a flower.

It wasn’t long before their friendship bloomed… the Thing was gentle and kind and the adventures they went on were the best she could ever imagine.

The girl soon discovered that there were many Things, living all over the place… which gave her an idea. She invited them all to a party, and the Things danced till midnight. Thing had never felt so happy.

But one day the Thing had to go and their adventures came to an end.
All Things have to go sometime…

In this poignant story, discover how small acts of kindness can grow into great friendships, and how the community you build from those friendships can provide comfort and companionship when you need it most.

Written by one of the UK’s best-loved children’s authors, Ross Montgomery, and illustrated by the incredible Richard Johnson, The Thing at 52 offers a comfortable starting point for discussing difficult topics with children. The book’s magic will draw you back again and again.

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About the author

Ross Montgomery started writing stories as a teenager, when he should have been doing homework, and continued doing so at university. His debut novel, Alex, the Dog and the Unopenable Door, was shortlisted for the Costa Children's Book of the Year and Branford Boase Award. His books The Chime Seekers and The Midnight Guardians have been nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Award. The Midnight Guardians was selected too as one of The Sunday Times’ “Top 100 Modern Children’s Classics”. His picture book Space Tortoise was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Award and included in the Guardian's "Best New Children's Books". His novel Spellstone was longlisted for the UKLA Book Award and his novel I Am Rebel was the Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year. Ross lives in London with his wife, a cat called Fun Bobby, and a daughter who is not called Fun Bobby. Find him online at rossmontgomery.co.uk and on X and Instagram as @mossmontmomery.

Richard Johnson is an illustrator whose picture books have been published by Penguin, Faber & Faber, Macmillan, DK, and many others. His work is deeply thoughtful and conjures up powerful atmospheres with detailed, delicate pencil strokes.

ISBN: 9780711279186

Format: PDF

Publication Date: 06/07/2023

Imprint: Frances Lincoln Children's Books