Cast of Characters
hero
Milo
determined, earnest, competitive
A small, round-cheeked boy of about eight with warm brown skin and big, eager hazel eyes framed by thick lashes. He wears a faded red-and-white striped shirt with a tiny pocket, soft olive cargo shorts, and chunky mud-scuffed boots. A hand-knitted yellow sun hat sits slightly crooked on his head of short, springy curls. A wicker basket swings from his elbow.
comic-relief
Pip
gleeful, oblivious, unstoppable
A pudgy, rosy-cheeked toddler girl with wispy strawberry-blonde pigtails tied with mismatched polka-dot ribbons. Her eyes are enormous, blue, and permanently delighted. She wears a hand-smocked lavender dress with a strawberry embroidered on the bib, tiny white knitted cardigan with pearlescent buttons, and velcro sandals already stained pink with berry juice. Her chubby fists are perpetually sticky.
mentor
Dara
warm, patient, wise
A tall, softly rounded woman with warm amber skin, laugh-line crinkles at her dark brown eyes, and a cloud of natural black hair loosely pinned up with a wooden clip. She wears a flowing patchwork linen blouse in dusty rose and cream, high-waisted indigo wide-leg trousers, and espadrilles with fraying edges that show they've been well-loved. A canvas tote printed with little flowers hangs from her shoulder.
sidekick
Otto
bumbling, enthusiastic, loveable
A broad, barrel-chested man with pale freckled skin, a bushy ginger beard streaked with a little grey, and small twinkling green eyes behind round tortoiseshell glasses. He wears a chunky moss-green knit sweater with elbow patches, rolled-up tan chinos, and tall rubber wellies printed with tiny ducks. A battered straw hat is crammed over his wild curly hair, and binoculars hang unused around his neck.
antagonist
Nell
focused, competitive, proud
A wiry, quick-moving girl of about nine with cool olive skin, a neat dark bob cut bluntly at her jaw, and narrowed, clever black eyes. She wears a pressed navy pinafore over a crisp white puffed-sleeve blouse, pristine white knee-socks, and glossy black Mary Janes that somehow stay spotless in the muddy field. A small velvet bow clip sits perfectly centered in her hair and she carries a lacquered wooden basket.
mentor
Bram
twinkly, unhurried, wise
A tiny, hunched old man with deeply wrinkled walnut-brown skin, a shock of white hair like dandelion fluff, and small bright eyes the colour of ripe blueberries. He wears a weathered denim apron over a thick oatmeal-coloured flannel shirt, corduroy trousers patched at the knees with floral fabric, and enormous muddy clogs. A hand-carved walking stick hangs from his arm and a fat tabby cat rides on his left shoulder.
