The Unadoptables

Milou and her friends have lived at the Little Tulip orphanage all their lives, doing back-breaking chores and eating watery cabbage soup under the watchful eye of the cruel Matron Gassbeek. But Milou knows her parents are coming back for her some day. Why else would they have left her on the doorstep with nothing but a ticking puppet and a velvet blanket?

But Milou and her gang can’t wait any longer – there’s a decidedly dastardly looking man who’s arrived to adopt them, and it doesn’t look like he’s the type to want to welcome the orphans into a loving family home. If Milou wants to find her real parents, they’re going to have to run away – and Milou’s going to have to come face to face with her own destiny a lot sooner than she thought…

Set against the backdrop of early 20^th century Amsterdam, this fun, gothic adventure is packed with mysterious puppets, eccentric characters, moustachioed baddies, and a fabulously nasty orphanage matron in the fine tradition of Annie's Miss Hannigan. Neat and stylish pencil sketches introduce each chapter and the book celebrates difference and identity with well-rounded and memorable characters - from no-nonsense engineer Lotta, who has a condition called polydactyly meaning she has six fingers, to the non-verbal Fenna and her pet owl. Hana Tooke’s delightfully spooky tale is the ideal book to curl up with on a wintery night, perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events or Roald Dahl's Matilda.