By Simon James (author) , Simon James (illustrator)
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The humorous story of a little boy and a dog who are destined to be together!
Polly belongs with Molly, Eric belongs with Derek, Perry belongs with Terry - everyone knows that owners and their dogs belong together in their own unique way. But for Poor Mr Scruff, alone in the dogs' home, there's no one - that is until a very special little boy arrives looking for a friend...
A wonderful, witty and warm story about the true nature of friendship from award-winning author-illustrator Simon James.
There's a gently inclusive message here to look past your preferences, and outside your bubble, and welcome all kinds of different people in your life. People come in all shapes and sizes and everyone deserves love and kindness...It's a snuggly, cuddly sort of book that inspires a real sense of belonging and home, as well as appealing to all young animal lovers. - BookTrust
This is a lovely picture book, and one that's sure to become a family or classroom favourite. - The School Librarian
Simon James grew up in Bristol and Exeter. He was educated at Queen Elizabeth School, Crediton. From an early age, he spent much of his time drawing and stapling stories into little books. His father had lots of books on cartoonists, many of whom Simon tried to copy. His favourites were Ronald Searle and Gerard Hoffnung. He spent the rest of his time climbing trees, saving worms from puddles and worrying about the strange shapes in the curtains at night.
After leaving school, Simon had many different jobs, whilst hoping to be a cartoonist. Some time later he went to college to study graphic design and art history. “Whilst working with words and images together, I developed a greater understanding of the techniques used in creating picture books.” he says. After college, Simon went back to spending much of his time drawing and stapling stories into little books – and still does to this day.
Simon’s first book, The Day Jake Vacuumed , was published in 1989 – and two more books about Jake soon followed (reissued by Walker in 2002). His first title for Walker Books, My Friend Whale , was the first of several concerned with a child’s relationship with the natural world – Dear Greenpeace, Sally and the Limpet, The Wild Woods and The Birdwatchers have established Simon as one of the country’s leading author/illustrators. Leon and Bob won the Smarties Book Prize Silver Award and was the New York Times' Best Illustrated Book of the Year, and Days Like This , a collection of small poems, was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Baby Brains was the overall winner of the Red House Children's Book Award in 2005, voted for by 25,000 children, and Simon followed up this success with two more Baby Brains titles, Baby Brains Superstar and Baby Brains and RoboMum . Simon continues to be a much sought-after speaker in schools, and at festivals and conferences both in the UK and in the USA.
Things you didn't know about Simon James
As a child Simon wanted to be a stuntman or a cartoonist.
He can run very fast.
He loves water-pistol fights.
He saves worms from the pavement and puts them onto the grass.
He doesn’t like coffee or tea, but drinks lots of water.
After leaving school, he trained to be a police officer but was asked to leave for drawing penguins in his police notebook.
His ideal day out is walking with The Adventurers (four children he knows and who feature in his book Days Like This) wading through streams - with rucksacks full of chocolate.
He loves music, especially Van Morrison.
He can’t sing and has a unique way of dancing.
His favourite sound is birdsong, especially the songs of blackbirds, skylarks and chaffinches.
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The humorous story of a little boy and a dog who are destined to be together! Polly belongs with Molly, Eric belongs with Derek, Perry belongs with Terry - everyone knows that owners and their dogs belong together in their own unique way.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Mr Scruff and determined it is suitable for children aged 5-6 years old
Mr Scruff features in the following genres: Stories about Family and Friends, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Featured Books for 5+ readers, Recommendations
Paperback, Hardback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. Not Available.
Mr Scruff was written by Simon James and published by Walker Books Ltd
Mr Scruff has 32 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. Not Available.
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