The Astounding Broccoli Boy is the hilarious tale of an unlikely (and very green) hero believing in himself and finding adventure. Written by the award-winning UK Children's Laureate 2024–2026, Frank Cottrell-Boyce and illustrated throughout by Steven Lenton. Perfect for children aged 8+.
Green by day, hero by night!
Rory Rooney likes to be prepared for all eventualities. His favorite book is Don't Be Scared, Be Prepared, and he has memorized every page of it. He could even survive a hippo attack. He knows that just because something is unlikely doesn't mean it won't ever happen . . .
But Rory isn't prepared when he suddenly and inexplicably turns green. Stuck in an isolation ward in a hospital far from home with two other remarkably green children, Rory's as confused by his new condition as the medics seem to be.
What if turning green actually means you've turned into a superhero? Rory can't wait to make it past hospital security and discover exactly what his superpower might be . . . A funny, fast-paced, fantastic adventure from the Carnegie Medal-winning Frank Cottrell Boyce, featuring wonderful cover artwork from Steven Lenton.
Frank Cottrell-Boyce, UK Children's Laureate 2024–2026, is a multi award-winning children's book author and screenwriter. Millions, his debut children's novel, won the prestigious CILIP Carnegie Medal.
His other books include Cosmic, Framed, The Astounding Broccoli Boy, Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth, Runaway Robot, Noah's Gold and The Wonder Brothers. He has enjoyed a long-standing collaboration with award-winning illustrator Steven Lenton. His books have been shortlisted for a multitude of prizes, including the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, the Whitbread Children's Fiction Award, The Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Blue Peter Book Award.
Frank is also a highly successful screenwriter. He has written for the hit TV series Dr Who and his script for Michael Morpurgo's Kensuke's Kingdom won a British Animation Award. Along with Danny Boyle, he devised the Opening Ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics. Frank has been the judge for the 500 Words competition and the BBC's One Show As You Write It competition.
Frank is a lifelong champion of children's books. In 2023 he launched a successful podcast with Nadia Shireen, The Island of Brilliant!, celebrating writing and illustration for children of all ages.
He lives in Merseyside with his family.
Steven Lenton is a multi-award-winning illustrator, originally from Cheshire, now working from his studios in Brighton and London with his dog, Big Eared Bob. He has illustrated many children's books including Head Kid and The Taylor Turbochaser by David Baddiel, The Hundred And One Dalmatians adapted by Peter Bently, the Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam series by Tracey Corderoy and the Sainsbury's Prize-winning The Nothing To See Here Hotel series written by Steven Butler. He has illustrated two World Book Day titles and regularly appears at literary festivals and live events across the UK. Steven has his own Draw-along YouTube channel, showing how to draw a range of his characters. He has also written his own picture book Princess Daisy and the Dragon and the Nincompoop Knights' and his young fiction series Genie and Teeny.
"This is classic Cottrell Boyce: brilliantly funny, believable and very human." -The Bookseller
"Frank Cottrell Boyce has cracked it again with a fast-paced adventure about a boy who turns green . . . a rallying cry for the power of difference." -Lorna Bradbury, Telegraph.co.uk
"An action-filled romp from an all-star author." -Metro
"A funny, silly and underlyingly serious story about self-belief, slapstick adventures, a very endearing penguin, the miraculousness of London and the value of being nice to people. It also carries the message that even if your are small (or any other size) and green (or any other colour), you should never be pushed around." -Nicole
