Uncle Cleans Up facts for kids
First edition cover.
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| Author | J. P. Martin |
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| Illustrator | Quentin Blake |
| Country | UK |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Uncle series |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
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Publication date
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1965 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 176 |
| Preceded by | Uncle |
| Followed by | Uncle and His Detective |
Uncle Cleans Up is an exciting children's book from 1965. It was written by J. P. Martin and is part of his popular Uncle series. This story follows the adventures of Uncle, a kind and brave elephant, as he faces his tricky enemies, the Badfort Crowd.
Contents
What Happens in the Story?
Goodman the Cat Joins Uncle's Team
In this adventure, a new friend joins Uncle's side: Goodman the Cat! Uncle rescues Goodman from a tough life working for Wizard Blenkinsop. Goodman was hungry and not treated well. He quickly becomes a loyal helper. Goodman is very eager to fight against Uncle's enemies. However, he still loves to sneakily take fish and postage stamps.
Trouble at the Fish-Frying Academy
Goodman's love for fish gets him into a bit of trouble. He causes a stir at Professor Gandleweaver's Fish-Frying Academy. The Professor was showing off his amazing fish-frying skills. A big crowd gathered to watch. When Goodman's fish-stealing was discovered, the crowd became very upset.
Uncle had to leave quickly to avoid a big argument. As soon as Uncle and his friends left, the crowd forgot all about them. The Professor started frying a huge conger eel. This was one of his most famous acts, and everyone focused on it.
The Badfort News and Uncle's Plan
The Badfort Crowd quickly used this incident against Uncle. They wrote a very untrue and twisted story in The Badfort News. This newspaper often printed lies about Uncle. These lies made Uncle decide it was time to take action.
Uncle visited the newspaper's office. There, he found a young badger literally chained to the printing press! Uncle quickly rescued the badger. Then, he taught Beaver Hateman a lesson. Beaver Hateman was one of the main troublemakers. Uncle kicked him far and high into Gaby's Marsh. This marsh is known for its crabs and "barking conger eels."
The Big Battle and Beaver Hateman's Promise
Just like in other books, Uncle Cleans Up ends with Uncle being captured by the Badfort Crowd. But he doesn't stay captured for long! His loyal friend, the Old Monkey, helps him escape. A huge battle then takes place. The Badfort Crowd is completely defeated this time. But you know they'll be back for more trouble!
The last we see of Beaver Hateman is quite memorable. Uncle's kick was so powerful that Beaver Hateman flew high into the sky. He was holding a large lit cigar. The wind made it glow brightly. Everyone could see a slowly rising red light in the sky.
Beaver Hateman landed back in Gaby's Marsh. He sent Uncle an angry letter. In it, he promised to get revenge. He said it would be "so fearful that anyone who speaks of it will develop lockjaw".
Where to Find the Book Today?
A special hardcover collection of all the Uncle stories was released in June 2008. It was published by The New York Review Children's Collection. You can find it using its ISBN number: ISBN: 1590172760. You can also learn more at www.nyrb.com.
