A collection of rhyming narratives concerning animals. We start with the title character, and what happens when a fellow hedgehog friend nabs all the milk left out for a neighbourhood cat. Next we lose even what realism we had with that, when a dog gains wings in a most unlikely way, and ends up identifying as a bird. A bee has a bizarre encounter with a beautiful dragonfly. An ass has a windy, well, ass, if you like. An owl thinks he will get a fine repast for a dinner date – and elsewhere a fox gets rumbled when just about to tuck into his meal. A teacher despairs of the class ghost.

Perhaps best is the combination of a story about magpies with the original "one for sorrow, two for joy" traditional rhyme. But that's not to pretend the narrative, like any here, is brilliant – however much the author wishes to give so many of them a sequel. Yet they're certainly not poorly presented – even when the verse gets to rhyme 'enough' with 'whoosh' the effect is one of mildly charming clumsiness, naive rather than bad. They're decently amenable, slightly old-fashioned but certainly not worthy, and presented with some high class spot illustrations. Will some intended readers realise it sounds a little bit too much like a biology lesson here and there? Potentially. But will even those readers wish to come back for a second read? Again – potentially. Near enough to four stars to make no difference.

I liked the book because it's different than most kids books - it's whimsical, more fantasy based, and odd in a good way. The illustrations are great and really help with the visualization of the stories/poems.

I gave it four stars because of some grammatical issues. Also for me the cover doesn't match the books vibe at all. I thought it was for smaller kids but some of the language and ideas are more advanced.

I found these many little stories/poems rather ridiculous - with a lactose intolerant hedgehog, a dog with wings, a bully fly who falls in love with a dragonfly, a donkey who farts their way from going to the abattoir and many more.

I did enjoy The Ghoul Who Didn’t Like School and this would make a great standalone book, but it didn’t really fit in with the Snuffle Truffle and Friends vibes, being that all other stories were about animals.

Thanks Paul Taylor, Troubador Publishing and NetGalley for this Digital Advanced Readers Copy, in exchange for an honest review.

The Adventures of Snuffle Truffle Friends is a delightful and whimsical collection of poems that will captivate young readers with its imaginative tales. Each poem introduces a unique animal character with mysterious and wondrous differences—such as a dog with wings and a ferret who lives in blue jeans—that spark curiosity and delight. The playful language and creativity in each poem are sure to engage children’s imaginations, while also offering a refreshing take on familiar animals in the most unexpected ways.

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, perfectly complementing the lyrical charm of the poems. The colorful, detailed artwork brings each whimsical character to life, making the book visually enchanting from start to finish.

While some minor grammatical editing is needed, the overall enjoyment of the book far outweighs this. The poems are fun, quirky, and full of surprises that make them a joy to read aloud. The Adventures of Snuffle Truffle Friends is a perfect read for parents, educators, or anyone looking to introduce children to the magic of poetry and the endless possibilities of imagination. A truly lovely addition to any children's book collection!

The Adventures of Snuffle Truffle and Friends is a collection of mainly slant rhyme stories about various animals (and one human ghost). Each also includes black and white illustrations. It could be read all at once or poem by poem. My kiddos enjoyed Annie, The Windy Donkey, probably for obvious reasons. Younger readers would need help due to level of some words (ex: abattior).

Thanks to Troubador Publishing Ltd. and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.