Uncle Cleans Up - Softcover
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 neighboring 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. Uncle Cleans Up displays the same subversive humor and ingenious plotting as its predecessor, Uncle, and serves as a no less delightful introduction to J.P. Martin's fantastic world.
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About the Author:
J. P. Martin (Author) J.P.Martin was born in Scarborough in 1879. He became a Methodist minister in 1902 and served as a missionary in South Africa and as an army chaplain in Palestine in 1918 at the time when Allenby and T.E. Lawrence overwhelmed the Turks. J.P.Martin and his wife Nancy moved circuits every three years and worked among miners and slum dwellers, as well as among the comfortably off. He started telling the Uncle stories before the First World War and in 1934 the writers Stella Martin and R.N Currey urged him to write them down; it took thirty years before they got them accepted by Jonathan Cape in the satire rich sixties. Reviewers welcomed each of the six books as they were published between 1964 and 1973 with comparisons to Edward Lear and Alice. The Observer described him as 'a master in the great English nonsense tradition.' J.P.Martin was 84 when Uncle was published and he charmed everyone on radio and television. He was able to enjoy his late success before he died two years later in 1986.R N Currey (Author) Born in Mafeking in 1907, R.N. Currey was a soldier, poet and at one time a school teacher in Colchester.
Review:
"And another great animal book: Uncle Cleans Up, about a millionaire elephant who wears a purple dressing gown and reluctantly engages in violent spats with his neighbours. Written in 1965 by JP Martin, a Yorkshire vicar, and illustrated by Quentin Blake, it has been reissued this year by New York Review Children's Collection in a lovely, clothbound edition." --Kate Summerscale, The Guardian
"I've never met a child who didn't love Quentin Blake." –Melanie McDonagh, Daily Telegraph
"The Times Literary Supplement called the books spellbinding'...while the Times Educational Supplement likened the books to Alice in Wonderland...The books contain many of the elements of the best English children's literature. There is the blurring of the line between the human and the animal kingdom, made familiar by Beatrix Potter and A.A. Milne. There is the quirky humor of 'Toad of Toad Hall' or 'Alice'. And the books are illustrated by the wonderful drawings of Quentin Blake." -The Economist
"The 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 distill 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." -Independent
"Magnificent nonsense." -Chicago Tribune
"I've never met a child who didn't love Quentin Blake." –Melanie McDonagh, Daily Telegraph
"The Times Literary Supplement called the books spellbinding'...while the Times Educational Supplement likened the books to Alice in Wonderland...The books contain many of the elements of the best English children's literature. There is the blurring of the line between the human and the animal kingdom, made familiar by Beatrix Potter and A.A. Milne. There is the quirky humor of 'Toad of Toad Hall' or 'Alice'. And the books are illustrated by the wonderful drawings of Quentin Blake." -The Economist
"The 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 distill 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." -Independent
"Magnificent nonsense." -Chicago Tribune
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherNew Eng. Lib.
- Publication date1971
- ISBN 10 0450009505
- ISBN 13 9780450009501
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages144
- Rating
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