A week of wonderous postal delights!

Tis true, I am back in one piece from a booktacular Edinburgh Festival - I was most splendidly accompanied by one Ms Helen Boyle and her super enthusiastic companion Nghiem - What smashing ladies - I couldn't have been better looked after!
That Grey Friars Bobby isn't much of a conversationalist though! (stuck up much?)

Yes chums - that's ME and Sir Shaun Tan! what a nice fella

Anyway after all that hard work and errum a small smattering of socialising I thought it wise to take a recuperative break in the tropical climes of Snowdonia. Rain? you've never seen the likes - my finely coiffured coat was like candy floss.
Heavens above, never have I been more grateful for a big bag of treats sent to me by the following kind folk - Mark Chambers, Sir Phillip of Earl and Lady Holly "the brush" Surplice -Three cheers for them!

Most dogs I understand are not the biggest fan of the local postman but I can say, paw on heart that when he brings me such delightful deliveries I could quite frankly give him a big smacker on the lips!

Firstly these two little gems - a magnificent print of one of Marks most splendid contributions to The Doggy Doodle Gallery - He certainly has a flair for it - This is a smasher

A bloomin corker by all accounts!

Mark also sent a delightful sketch of a monkey in a fez - SUBLIME! everyone should have one! THANK YOU MARK!

Clever chap!

I had also had my greedy little peepers on a book I had spotted on the Internet some time ago - Looked like a complete corker - The Diabolical Mr Tiddles!  (by Tom McLaughlin)
I set about sniffing it out tout sweet and lo and behold the Lullingtons at Simon and Schuster sent me a copy of my very own! What nice people.

Had to enlist 'Pugling Small'
 to read a few of these they had sent so many!

I'm not saying Mouse has anything at all in common with Mr Tiddles and is anything BUT a law abiding citizen but I did catch her surrounded by loot and MY copy of The Diabolical Mr Tiddles...naughty little kleptomaniac!

Yes that's my iphone unfder her dribbly little chin!

Back to the book - which I note is endorsed most highly by my number one crush Mr Oliver "kiss the Blarney Stone" Jeffers  SWOON.

Poor Harry, lover of all things 'feline', has longed for a cat of his own for many a year - unlike oneself he was not palmed off with a fish tank full of stick insects and on his birthday is presented with one very splendid, very stripy cat! 

Introducing the one and only ever-so-suspiciously charming and innocently named Mr Tiddles ...

Harry has a lot of pent up cat love to unleash on Mr Tiddles so they spend many happy days bonding over 3D movies and slurping milkshakes together - Tres sweet. However things take an unusual turn as Mr Tiddles decides he simply must repay his host with an array of unusual gifts...starting off in the not too brash department with dead mice and the like and moving on to slightly more high value items such as jet rocket packs, electric guitars and a rather smashing clock work monkey in a bowler hat! (I must get one of these)

 Harry's suspicions are raised (and would have been more so had this same level of gift giving happend at the time of the London looting episodes) Harry decides to follow our intrepid little 'tea leaf' on his nightly excursion only to discover Mr Tiddles is a master criminal and about to rob...*GASP*..THE QUEEN! Lorks-a-lordy! someone call the coppers!

I won't spoil the ending for you and will leave you as I was on tenterhooks as Mr Tiddles glides through the air by means of the queens chandelier with her bloomin crown in one paw! ...

Not since the last series of Luther had I been immersed in such adrenelin fuelled larks! I was quite literally gripped by the excitment if this whole story - A truely original concept with contemporary and lively illustrations throughout - Mr Tiddles will steal your heart (GROAN) and your TV set given half the chance! One certainly worth a good sniffing!

We give The Diabolical Mr Tiddles 4 kipper sandwiches and an x-box out of 5!


Next up for a good old snifferooney was this delightful package...

Smug Pug! Note the little bear in the corner...

Well surprise packages are just about my favorite thing and this one didn't disappoint - inside I found a beautifully wrapped blue paper parcel ...

Sniff sniff!

Well I never ...my very own copy of About a Bear sent by "charming as a guinea pig on a scooter" Holly Surplice!

I have been pressing my puggy nose up against the window of my local Waterstone's every day for a week gazing adoringly at this and now I have my very own copy!

Holly is a great fave and regular contributer to our Doggy Doodle Gallery on Fridays !

Her bold confident collage and brushwork style instantly drew me to this book (that and the snoggsomely snuggly big brown bear! )
The text is perfectly crafted into a lulling bedtime-esque rhyme of delightful proportions - no mean feat - very tricksy indeed to craft a complete story from so few words.

 About a Bear follows bear going about his daily 'beary' business with a plethora of technicolour butterflys and a handful of other charming critters including a rabbit, a tortoise and a (non-smelly) skunk.

Lots of opportunity for joining in and copying bear, including a tittersome lesson in botty scratching! Crack open the ovaltine and get the little ones under wing and settle down for a lovely pre-bed story and butt scratching session...

We give this book 4 butterflies and a tortoise out of 5! A splendiferous bucket full of technicolour bear filled joy!

Keep Sniffing Book Sniffers and don't forget to spead the word!

Next week: An interview with bonkers as a bag of biscuits Melanie Willaimson - and a new Pictures Books That Changed the World spot on The Very Hungry Caterpiller! TTFN! x