The wonder of nature is brilliantly captured in this endearing story of what happens when you try to make pets out of caterpillars. Guinea pigs Christopher and his friend Posie love their garden and they love caterpillars too. But they don’t love caterpillars in their garden. Instead, they give the caterpillars the perfect home so, why do they apparently run away? The answer will delight.
Christopher Nibble and his friend Posie are keeping six hairy caterpillars as pets. They look after their pets carefully but, one day, the caterpillars disappear! Our gardening guinea pigs become the detectives of Dandeville and, with the help of Mr Rosetti, they solve their minibeast mystery in this bright and beautiful tale.
'I adored the illustrations - Charlotte Middleton's guinea pig world is eccentrically realised and the strong environmental message doesn't detract from the overriding humour in the story.' - Askews Library Service Children's Newsletter
'When dandelions begin disappearing it's up to Nibbles to rescue the last plant so new seeds can fly through the air, nearly 3-D, on a beautifully evocative spread.' - New York Times
'Middleton's tale of over-consuming and scarcity is direct but not preachy. Using a bold font for emphasis, the text is simple and age appropriate, but the mixed-media illustrations steal the show. A photo of a cabbage is combined with drawn elements such as insects. The library scene is full of humorous book titles that will elicit chuckles from young and old. Every page features something that draws the eye in for a closer look.' - School Library Journal
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.
