A Near Thing for Captain Najork - by Russell Hoban (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Perfect for kids who love to laugh, a classic tale about the value of fooling around, written and illustrated by two masters of children's literature.

Tom loves to fool around and is very good at it. So he invents a jam-powered frog and takes his Aunt Bundlejoy Cosysweet out on the frog out for a spin. When the no-nonsense Captain Najork sees them hopping past his window, he and his hired sportsmen jump into their pedal-powered snake and set off in hot pursuit.

Events, adventure and sheer craziness conspire to bring Tom and the Captain together at the local girls' boarding school, where Aunt Fidget Wonkham-Strong Najork is in the middle of a best-of-three arm-wrestling contest against the Headmistress...

Sublimely silly, this is a very funny collaboration for children by Russell Hoban and Quentin Blake, a rip-roaring adventure guaranteed to keep the pages turning and the laughs bouncing off the ceiling! This is a brilliant companion volume to How Tom Beat Captain Najork and His Hired Sportsmen, also published by Godine.

Review Quotes

Praise for How Tom Beat Captain Najork and His Hired Sportsmen and A Near Thing for Captain Najork

"There has never been a better time for the resurrection of two classics by the Lennon and McCartney of children's books . . . the pictures, classic Blake, mix vulnerability, energy and mayhem, the words always challenge and surprise"--The Times

"A perfect combination of words and illustration, it's everything a picture book should be."--Irish Times

"Rarely has a reissue been more timely than this reminder that learning comes in many forms, and that childhood play is never a waste of time."--The Guardian

"A triumph from an unerringly eccentric double act."--The Observer

"The duo's 1975 riotous tribute to the triumphs of 'fooling around' "--Daily Telegraph

"The trademark tremulous contour lines of Quentin Blake's colourful illustrations inject energy and excitement into this madcap adventure."--Children's Books Ireland, Recommended Read

"The partnership between author and illustrator is almost perfect, their resourcefulness in making such absurdity so natural almost the equal of the boy Tom in his creation of the two-seater, jam-powered frog."--The Times