Albert Johnson and the Buns of Steel

By Phil Earle and Steve May

A baking nightmare makes for slapstick comedy gold in this hilarious Little Gem from a bestselling author and illustrator team.

Albert’s dad needs help in the family bakery, but all his son can think about is sport. So he builds a machine like no other: the Doughmaster 5000. It seems to have solved all their problems, until one night, Dad’s miracle solution turns into a rampaging disaster. It’s up to Albert to fix the mess – but will his sporting skills save him now?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Oct 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781800902237

Phil Earle

Born and raised in the north of England, Phil Earle is the author of numerous acclaimed, award-winning books for children and teenagers. He has worked as a carer, a dramatherapist, a bookseller and a publisher, and loves talking at schools and festivals around the world. His novel When The Sky Falls won the Books Are My Bag Readers Award and the British Book Award for Children’s Fiction. He lives on the side of a very steep hill with his wife, their five children and two dogs.

Book preview

For Albie (of course)

and also for Milton & Woody,

with love x

CONTENTS

Title Page

Dedication

1 A Family Business

2 Big Shoes to Fill

3 Simply the Best

4 The Sporting Life

5 SURPRISE!!!

6 Whoa …

7 Busy, Busy, Busy

8 Uh Oh – Here Comes Trouble

9 What? How? Why?

10 Sweet Revenge

11 Albert Hatches a Plan

12 What a Shot!!

13 What Now?

14 The Final Swing

Copyright

Chapter 1

A FAMILY BUSINESS

Albert Johnson’s family had always been bakers. Not just any bakers. Master Bakers. The most talented known to man.

There was his father, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandfather, great-great-great-grandfat—. You get the message.

There was nothing that Albert’s dad couldn’t shape out of dough.

A loaf like a swan? No problem.

A cake that looked like the Empire State Building? Easy.

A sliced white loaf the spitting image of Donald Trump?

… Well, you should probably see a doctor, but Albert’s dad could bake you one anyway.

He was the best of the best and, boy, was he busy.

By 7 a.m. every day, the queue for the baker’s shop stretched along the