• Age: 6 to 10
• Grade: 1 to 5
• Reading age: 3 to 5

One day Poppy the Pug meets Smudge the Maine Coon cat at the park, and so begins an extraordinary friendship and a series of adventures ranging from a disastrous coffee-and-play group to a terrible house fire. These eight linked stories also introduce Poppy's human companion Danielle, cheeky Jackson, Baby Gillian, the dog-hating Wenda, and the dreaded Psycho-Cat, proving that no matter what the situation, life is never dull when there's a glossy black pug in the neighbourhood!

Paul Mason has written two novels: Battered Soles and and three plays: The Discipline Committee, Circles of Grace, and Sister Camille's Kaleidoscopic Cabaret, which took first prize in an international competition sponsored by Christians in Theatre Arts. He lives in Peterborough, Ontario where he teaches English and Drama.

Paul Mason's profile page

"Young readers will be charmed by the unlikely alliance of Poppy the Pug and Mr. Smudge, the Maine Coon cat, as they test the boundaries of their integrity and courage in the cozy neighbourhood of Thompson Bay. Mason's skillful writing, paired with Berrino's delightful sketches, create a gentle tale sparkling with wit and brightness." ~ Margaret J. McMaster, author of The Complete Babysitter Out of Control! Series