Shortlisted for the James Reckitt Hull Children's Book Award 2017
‘There was a living nose, right in front of his eyes. He still couldn’t believe it. There was only one thing for it. He would have to touch it. If he touched it, he’d know if it was real. He held out his hand and realised it was shaking. He took a few big gulps of air and waited until it was steady. Then in one quick movement he reached out and prodded the nose’s right nostril...’
One day, Christopher, a keen but unorthodox gardener, finds a living nose raised by slugs in his garden. In their hunt to find Little Big Nose a face, they encounter Doctor Skinner, an eccentric plastic surgeon, who has connections with nose’s past and sinister intentions for his future.
‘“You didn’t think you’d get away that easily.” The Doctor chuckled and walked over to Christopher. “I asked nicely,” he said. “Now I’m just going to take what’s mine.”'
A surreal, snotty, rip-snorting yarn for all the family, The Nose That Nobody Picked is also thoughtful and poetic. A love of nature runs though the book and the story is peppered (not salted) with whimsical slug philosophy.
Ultimately The Nose That Nobody Picked is about belonging and family, as both Little Big Nose and Christopher ‘follow their trails’ back to their missing fathers. Hilarious and thought-provoking, it will appeal to 5-11 year olds.