The Boy in the Oak is a 2010 children's book written and illustrated by Jessica Albarn. It is a fantasy about a boy who discovers an oak tree in his family's back garden. The book contains detailed pencil drawings of fairies, insects, and children. It also contains translucent pages with close-up photographs of insects, tree bark, flowers, and other images from nature. Albarn showcased the book as part of the Port Eliot Festival in 2010.

Plot

A boy who lived in a house with a garden did not appreciate nature; he trampled on flowers and carved his initials into trees. The fairies that lived in the forest decided to stop him from destroying everything by trapping him inside the large oak tree in the garden. His parent searched and searched, but eventually gave up on finding him and moved away. After several years, a new family moved into the house. They spoke of cutting down the oak tree, which angered the fairies. They choose to try to steal the little girl, but the boy forces her back through the portal

Portals in fiction

A portal in science fiction and fantasy is a magical or technological doorway that connects two distant locations separated by spacetime. It usually consists of two or more gateways, with an object entering one gateway leaving via the other instantaneously....

 between the fairy and human worlds. This kindness allows the boy to break the spell that trapped him.

Development history

Albarn was inspired to begin this novel when a friend showed her a tree in her garden that appeared to have a face in the bark

Bark

Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...

. The garden reminded Albarn of a cottage in the woods that she and her family would visit as a child.

Film

The book is being adapted into a short film, due to release spring 2011 to select theaters. It is directed by Luke Losey

Luke Losey

Luke Losey is an award winning film director, lighting designer and photographer. His visually arresting work has been seen in avant-garde, theatre and mainstream media.- Background and early life :...

, and will be produced by Alcove Entertainment

Alcove Entertainment

Alcove Entertainment is an independent film production and finance company, based in the UK and the UAE. Alcove Entertainment has occasionally acted as a distributor for its own films. The company was founded by Amina Dasmal and Robin Fox in 2005.-Company:...

. It is narrated by Jude Law

Jude Law

David Jude Heyworth Law , known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989...

. The film score is composed by Jessica Albarn's brother Damon Albarn

Damon Albarn

Damon Albarn is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who has been involved in many high profile projects, coming to prominence as the frontman and primary songwriter of Britpop band Blur...

, who is known as the singer for Blur

Blur (band)

Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...

 and frontman and songwriter for the Gorillaz

Gorillaz

Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...

. The film will combine live action

Live action

In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...

, animation, and illustration.