Book review: Meet Hammerhead and Captain Stinkypants

The children’s story, written by Channel Islands Co-op CEO Colin MacLeod, has already raised £10,000 for charity

Edited by Fast Hold Publishing

Meet Hammerhead and Captain Stinkypants follows the adventures of two brothers and their dad on the day they discover a secret land and are transformed into superheroes. It’s written by Colin Macleod, the chief executive of the Channel Islands Co-operative.

As they chase a custard-headed monster, the three characters have to face their deepest fears. While describing the adventures of the superheroes, the book teaches children to be brave and deal with what they are scared of such as darkness or the dentist.

Illustration of the Toad Lane Co-op shop featured in the book (c) Susan Lintell

The characters also pay a visit to a co-op supermarket, which is shown by a graphic design featuring the Toad Lane original co-op shop.

Colin says the children’s book was inspired by his two sons, Harris and Lewis, whom he tells bedtime stories.

“Like a lot of dads, my bedtime routines with the boys have been dominated by storytelling. Harris, Lewis and I have been fairly chaotic with the way that we have imagined bedtime stories and we often take it in turns to create different parts of a story. This fairly random way of discovering our collective imaginations has, over the years, led to some themes emerging. We have built characters, worlds, emotions and dreams together at bedtime,” he said.

The book, which is his first, has already raised £10,000 for Help A Guernsey Child and Variety, the Children’s Charity of Jersey. Help a Guernsey Child has used some of the funds to cover the costs of the Amherst Primary Summer School.

With the funding received Variety purchased an Acheeva Learning Station, which will enable Mont a l’Abbe pupils with complex and continuing health needs to be comfortably and easily included in classroom activities. It also bought and a specialist trike for Eliana Lazarrin, who was brain damaged after a near-fatal drowning when she was 21 months old.

“On a day-to-day basis, I very proudly lead a business that is at the heart of island life and I wanted to choose charities that mirrored that community focus,” said Mr Macleod. “I’m utterly delighted that we have managed to raise so much money for Help A Guernsey Child and Variety, the Children’s Charity of Jersey.”

Following success in the Channel Islands, the children’s book will be sold by the Lincolnshire Co-operative, with profits to be donated to local charities.

In this article


Join the Conversation