Uncle Shawn and Bill and the Almost Entirely Unplanned Adventure

The first book in a hilarious, heart-warming series for children from Costa Award-winning author A. L. Kennedy, illustrated by Gemma Correll.

Badger Bill needs rescuing. He's been kidnapped by two nasty sisters who are about to make him fight a boxing match against three even nastier dogs.

The four most depressed llamas in the history of llamas need rescuing too. They are about to be turned into llama pies.

But never fear – Uncle Shawn is here! He loves rescuing things. He has a rescuing plan, which involves dancing, and a mole, and an electric fence. What could possibly go wrong?

"Badger Bill and four depressed llamas are in trouble and need rescuing, will Uncle Shawn be able to save the day? Relish in some pure zany escapism." Little London The Dahlesque wickedness of the McGloones forms a wonderful contrast to the gentle benevolence shown by Uncle Shawn and there's a zany, madcap humour and surreal logic to it all which is delightfully engaging.It would be fun to compare Ethel and Maude with Aunts Sponge and Spiker in James and the Giant Peach. Children who enjoy the mix of crazy comedy, jeopardy and warmth will also appreciate Philip Ardagh's stories of The Grunts. - February 2017 Book of the Month LoveReading, Andrea Reece "[...] there are several belly laughs along the way - especially courtesy of Gemma Correll's wide-eyed illustrations." The Guardian "Kennedy relishes her technicolour villains (Maude and Ethel McGloone could out-nasty Dahl's Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker) and shares David Walliam's knack for psychological observation (the sisters live in "a cottage full of failed knitting"). But the big delight here is the prose. Chapter books for younger readers are so often couched in bland language, but this brims with exhilarating imagery. [...] Highly recommended." The Observer, Children's Book of the Week "It's a delightful hardback, illustrated with childlike glee by Gemma Correll. The pungent language, pointed names and uncompromisingly horrible adults are reminiscent of Roald Dahl." Daily Record "Its tone and the quality of its illustrations make this a promising starter book for children who are reluctant readers." Armadillo This is a stylishly funny story written by AL Kennedy, enhanced by Gemma Correll's quirky and informative illustrations. Ideal for discerning young readers. Scotsman A witty, absurd attack on animal cruelty and zany adventure tale, it is like Roald Dahl on an energy drink. [...] There's still a sharp edge to Kennedy's fiction, but this is surprisingly daft and fun. Here she is letting rip, revelling in quirkiness and a children's story-telling voice - and it's irresistible. The Herald

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.

Gemma Correll is a cartoonist, writer, illustrator and all-round small person. She's the author of A Cat’s Life (Te Neues, 2012), A Pug’s Guide to Etiquette (Dog N Bone, 2013) and The Worrier’s Guide to Life (Andrews McMeel, 2015) and the illustrator of Pugly Bakes a Cake (Nosy Crow, 2016) and Petunia Perry and the Curse of the Ugly Pigeon (Nosy Crow, 2015), both by Pamela Butchart. Her illustration clients include Hallmark, The New York Times, Oxford University Press, Knock Knock, Chronicle Books and The Observer.

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