Children who like their stories filled with larger-than-life characters, crazy comedy and the reassuring sense that love and goodness will win out, will really enjoy A.L Kennedy’s Uncle Shawn books. In the first book in this series, little Badger Bill needed rescuing from a particularly nasty couple; now the tables are turned and everyone’s best friend Uncle Shawn has been locked up by the awful ‘Dr’ P’Klawz, whose ambition is to rid the country of all types of fun and – above all – Unusualness. The action is fast and very funny, and leaves readers in no doubt that unusualness in every form is to be encouraged. Filled with some wonderful images (P’Klawz grins ‘like a cruel iceberg’) it’s made for reading aloud, and Gemma Correll’s black and white illustrations are an added treat.
Uncle Shawn and Bill and the Pajimminy-Crimminy Unusual Adventure Synopsis
The second book in a hilarious, heart-warming series for children from Costa Award-winning author A.L. Kennedy, illustrated by Gemma Correll.
Badger Bill loves his best friend Uncle Shawn. But he has started to notice that Uncle Shawn is a bit unusual.
Dr P'Klawz hates Uncle Shawn. He has also noticed that Uncle Shawn is a bit unusual - pajimminy crimminy unusual, in fact.
It looks like Badger Bill is going to need a plan, or Uncle Shawn might be sent to the Institution for Maximum Security and Unusualness Curing for ever. But all Bill has to help him are four bickering llamas, one pirate boy and one invisible girl. What could possibly go wrong?
A.L. Kennedy is the author of three works of non-fiction, and five short story collections including All The Rage. Her seventh novel Serious Sweet will appear this year. She won the Costa Book of the Year for her novel Day, has twice been selected as one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists and is a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Society of Literature. She is also a dramatist and broadcaster and she has a regular blog with The Guardian Online. She lives in London.
