Spud
Spud is a scruffy dog with a big heart - and an even bigger belly. He loves scrounging in dustbins, scaring cats and, of course, scoffing as much food as he can find. But what Spud loves more than anything in the world is his owner, Mrs Piffey, and she loves him too.
But one day Spud overhears Mrs Piffey talking about a mysterious 'turkey' and she suddenly starts wearing dark glasses and strange things called 'bikinis'. Then she disappears . . .
Poor Spud does his best to find her - while being kept in check by Mrs Cats-Home. And of course Mrs Piffey is soon back with a tan - and big box of Turkish delight!
Alison Prince is an established author of children's books and was joint-winner of the Guardian Prize in 1996, sharing it with Philip Pullman! She also writes poetry and won the Literary Review Annual Poetry Prize in 1997.
She has recently published a biography of Hans Christian Andersen, the research for which entailed her learning Danish.
Alison lives on the Isle of Arran, Scotland.