Wind in the Willows meets The Famous Three meets Terry the Tug meets James Bond with a hint of Magic, or Not?- in this imaginative tale of villainy and courage. Water ripples off every page and you would think that Tower Bridge could talk as our young heroes chance upon The Queen of England and the Head of MI5 in their quest to protect the nations of the world from the bully of the bankside. Characters and even landmarks spring to life from the evocative illustrations. A gripping voyage for readers of all ages from 6/7 to 100.
- Environmental issues addressed positively and with humour.
- A celebration of the role of rivers in the water cycle, and their historical importance to human society.
- Set in the 1950’s Thames riverbank dweller’s post-war ethos of living simply and in harmony with the river, along with trips abroad and back in time.
Plot
Whilst preparing for a camping holiday up the Thames in Flatty, Lucy and her puppy Sprinkle find a collar that seems to help Sprinkle’s ability to smell, but Lucy worries – is it evil? On arriving in Windsor the Queen orders Flatty to do something about climate change and floods. Sprinkle is asked to spy on a suspicious boat. When MI5 examines the collar their equipment explodes. MI5 ask Flatty to help bring the Olympic Torch up the Thames to London - but a Chinese battleship refuses to hand it over. Then Sprinkle discovers a terrorist plot to blow up the Thames Barrier, wreck the Olympics and flood London. The prime minister will not help! What can our heroes do?
International appeal
Topics: Climate change, sea level rise, flooding, the historical role of river in human commerce, philosophy and parliamentary democracy.
Countries: China, USA, countries affected by sea level rise and floods, countries with major rivers