"Hugo, the son of a charcoal maker, is an extraordinary independent boy. He needs to be, for he has no mother, and his father is away from home for long strtches at a time. Even though Hugo lives alone, he never has a moment to spare : perhaps it is because of the many happy hours he spends deep in the woodland, observing the habits of small creatures and insects, that Hugo knows a lot more about the world around him than his teacher at school, and has a deeper understanding of other people than most grown- ups. His is a special kind of wisdom, that wins him the friendship of Miriam, the most difficult-to-know girl in the school, and leads him by instinct to make for Josephine a present that is so simple and yet so full of meaning --Jacket.