Publisher's Synopsis
Turn-of-the-Century English inventor and explorer Thaddeaus Shockpocket is having another bad day. It seems like only yesterday his ten-year-old son, Sherlock, was carried off into the jungle by local natives after Thaddeaus accidentally presented the boy as a gift to the village chief. He stands helplessly watching as his wife, Katherine, disappears into the sky in the family airship, ALBION 77, after he accidentally pumped too much helium into the balloon. Another Shockpocket has been lost in the pursuit of science, and one thought bursts into Thaddeaus' head pushing out all others as he watches the pinpoint balloon vanish into the distance. "It's four o'clock. I hope Tweak has put the kettle on. I need a nice cup of tea." And then a second thought: "We really need to go and find Sherlock." And then a third: "I hope Katherine lands soon. And somewhere nice. What an adventure she will have. If only she doesn't crash first." Yes, it's another day in the Shockpocket family. But this day leads to unexpected discovery and adventure as Thaddeaus and his twelve-year-old daughter Tweak wait for word from Katherine, invent several new devices to change the world, and search for Sherlock in the deepest, darkest corners of Brazil.
