Judges' Top Choice in the picture book category of Scholastic Best Books 2009.
Winner of a Growing Good Kids Award given by the US Horticultural society 2011.
A witty and charming story which strikes a cautionary note about greed, the hero of which is a warm-hearted guinea pig called Christopher Nibble. Heroism comes in many shapes and sizes and Christopher Nibble’s determination to bring back dandelions to Dandeville is a great example of it. Like all the inhabitants of Dandeville Christopher Nibble’s favourite food is dandelion. But when the dandelions run out it is Christopher Nibble who’s thoughtful and brave action brings them back. The author’s witty and quirky story has also been illustrated by her with charming collage illustrations and without a doubt her guinea pigs are some of the most endearing, rather funky little characters you are ever likely to meet.
Christopher Nibble loves munching dandelion leaves. And he's not alone. All the guinea pigs in Dandeville eat dandelion leaves for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But no-one seems to do anything when the dandelions begin to dwindle. They just carry on munching. In fact the guinea pigs of Dandeville are heading for eco-disaster ...But that's where Christopher Nibble steps in. He discovers the last dandelion growing outside his bedroom window and, rather than eat it, he does his horticultural research in the library and then nurtures the dandelion patiently until it has produced a perfect head of tiny seeds. Then he blows the seeds from a hill high over Dandeville so that each dandelion seedling takes root and grows into a new plant. Charlotte Middleton has illustrated her witty, quirky story with charming collage illustrations and her guinea pigs are the most endearing, funky little characters you are ever likely to meet.
Charlotte Middleton’s childhood guinea pigs are the inspiration for Christopher Nibble! At school, Charlotte loved drawing and would regularly illustrate her spelling and times tables test papers. She went on to study Graphic Art and Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art. Her first book, Tabitha’s Terrifically Tough Tooth, was published in 1998 and since then she has written and illustrated more than a dozen books. Her stories have been sold all over the world and Charlotte would love to be as well-travelled as her books one day.
