Author:J. P. Martin,R N Currey
It is a time of rejoicing at Homeward, the Labyrinthine castle-city that is as magical as Oz and as full of wonders as Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Uncle, the wise, kind, generous, and fabulously rich elephant who rules over Homeward, has joined with his many friends to celebrate their triumph over the ruffians in neighbouring Badfort.
Still, there's plenty of cleaning up to do in Homeward: the waterworks are tainted with vinegar, housing is scarce, and the Dwarftown Railway is terribly overcrowded - meanwhile the Badfort crowd has devised its most diabolical plan yet. Uncle will need all the help he can get from his faithful assistant Old Monkey and from Goodman the literate cat-and possibly a wizard's spell - to get through this mess.
A riot of nonsense and adventure, may well become a classic in the great English nonsense tradition
—— ObserverJoyously surreal, set in landscapes full of toffee, deferential choirs of badgers, heavenly water-slides and velvet chairs . . . Their pachydermous protagonist governs a benevolent plutocracy- but the books' great joy is the frequent sly and subtle lampooning of his capitalist pomp
—— GuardianThe books are very funny, installing a large cast of unlikely characters . . . in a world of mildly squiffy logic . . . And the illustrations are among Quentin Blake’s best work, scrawls and splotches that finally and unarguably distil character. But most important, this is political satire of a high order — Animal Farm for pre-teens, but wittier and more relevant to our own world
—— IndependentFew books are laugh-out-loud funny; fewer still are the children's books that have you stifling titters on the train . . . Uncle is a brilliantly sustained exercise in nonsense, played with the straightest of faces
—— Financial TimesYou ask any class "Who's heard of Alice in Wonderland" and up goes a forest of hands. Uncle is on the same level and should be more widely read and enjoyed
—— The Junior BookshelfWould make a great gift for literary eccentrics of any age
—— The Los Angeles TimesI think Uncle stuck with me because of its combination of excess, gadgetry and eccentricity - all of which are modes of being I have attempted to emulate in my adult life. I blame J.P. Martin
—— Will SelfIf there was ever a children's series generating fanatical, "cult" adoration, this is it. And deservedly so
—— GuardianA good read for 11-year-olds who want to know their counterparts a century ago were truly human
—— TESA most enjoyable book, full of life, warmth and humour
—— The School LibrarianCompelling and thought-provoking
—— Teach PrimaryWhat a fantastic job Adel Geras has done bringing these characters to life
—— Sarah's Book ReviewsFull of suspense and the characters were written so well that you were really pulled into their lives
—— Chrissie's CornerThe book comes billed as "a passionate tale of love, betrayal and revenge" - and it is indeed, an excellent, intelligent read which will stretch minds just as it will stretch vocabularies. It is vivid in the world it creates, intriguing as it takes you there and satisfying when it leaves you
—— Chichester TodayAdele Geras gave us brilliant evocations of the ancient world with Troy and Ithaka. With Dido she again takes a classical setting and story and breathes freshness, and above all an up-to-date connection, into the people and the places whilst skilfully remaining faithful to her sources
—— School Librarian