Thomas Wells – illustratör

An illustrated book aimed at 4-8 year olds Children are often more attentive than we give them credit for. Parents aren't. Kevin is a sensitive boy, who listens to his mum. Mum does not take any real notice of what Kevin does, preferring to concentrate her efforts in raising his awareness of the dangers that surround him in his everyday life. The vehicle for this education by fear is 'Great Uncle Stanley', a distant and unseen relative whose careless behaviour resulted in a series of spectacular mishaps. The book follows these misadventures, with Kevin's mental image of Great Uncle Stanley growing ever more dreadful through the cumulative effects of his various calamities. The mother is oblivious of the impact her homilies are having on Kevin. Eventually, Kevin's mental picture of Great Uncle Stanley is as grotesque as Dorian Gray's portrait after a particularly hedonistic session. When his mother announces that Great Uncle Stanley has paid them an unexpected call, Kevin's reaction is to run screaming from this hideous apparition. In the wake of Kevin's frantic departure Great Uncle Stanley (who bears none of the imagined scars) turns to Kevin's mother and warns her of the consequences of exaggerating life's dangers ... by doing the same to her.