"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
QUICK VIEW
