Mrs Poodle adores her four children. Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La are dainty creatures no bigger than teacups. Gaston, however, is tea-pot sized. With his different build and rough voice, Gaston puts in the most effort when it comes to lessons in deportment, elocution and so on. But one day in the park, upon meeting Mrs Bulldog and her puppies, the terrible mistake that was made at birth is staring them in the face: for here are three bulky bulldog puppies and one, tiny poodle. A swap might seem logical, but turns out to be the wrong thing altogether. Gaston feels like a poodle, not a bulldog. This is a very sweet, meaningful story about being who you want to be based on how you feel rather than the way you look. The artwork is simple yet sophisticated, in gorgeous earth-tones that will delight both adults and children.

Emily Gale