The Smug Pug

When Tallulah Foghorn arrives at Crumbly-under-Edge, Pippa Peppercorn thinks she has finally found a best friend. Both girls have the same bright red hair, and like each other immediately. Tallulah is very smart and has a pet pug called Smug. Smug is ALSO incredibly brainy and likes to invent things. Pippa takes Tallulah and Smug to meet her friends, Mrs Fudge, Dash the dog and Muffles the cat, at the Chop ‘n’ Chat Pooch Parlour, but unfortunately, Dash and Smug do not get on with each other at all.

Soon, Tallulah and Smug start inventing various machines to help Mrs Fudge at the Chop ‘n’ Chat, though Dash remains suspicious of them. Everything goes well until Tallulah and Smug make a machine adapted from one of Tallulah’s grandfather’s inventions. It can do the hairdressing jobs, but can read minds as well. Unsurprisingly, everything goes wrong when the machine starts to print out everyone’s thoughts. Luckily, Tallulah’s grandfather arrives just in time to save the day.

Part of the Pooch Parlour series, this story can be read as a stand alone. It is amusing, and is full of likeable characters. The story is witty with a great sense of fun. It will appeal to young readers of both sexes but especially to girls who like stories with an animal theme.