SMUDGE THE SLUG

SYNOPSIS

There could never be a more likeable slug than Smudge.

His dream is to find a home in a secret hideaway far from those who find him a pest. Achieving this causes all sorts of problems and setbacks. When he thinks he’s found the perfect place to live in the hollow of an oak tree he discovers it’s also home to a grumpy spider and a snobbish ladybird. After getting kicked out Smudge slithers into all kinds of dilemmas.

 And, it’s all due to a personal problem – his horrible, horrible Slime

BACKSTORY

The idea of this book came to me in the oddest of ways………… 

One day a slug looking for a safe place to secrete itself landed up in the circuit board of my robotic lawn mower. In this tangle of wires it obviously decided to have a nibble on one of them and the poor creature got electrocuted! Okay the circuit board had to be replaced but do you know what – being an old softy, I felt sympathy for that slug. I thought of all the creatures in this world searching for shelter and protection.

And, that’s exactly how the story of Smudge came into being. 

The story needed illustrations but my style was unsuitable for this. Fortunately, I happened to meet Giando Barbera an Italian graphic designer in a café and noticed he been doodling cartoon animals on a napkin. I asked if he’d ever drawn a cartoonish slug and immediately his pencil spun into action. Before our coffee had even arrived he’d skillfully sketched the wonderful image of Smudge. Not only did Giando become the illustrator he designed this book as well.