Mister Snail — Christy Peacock

Mister Snail is a kindly soul who finds a wonderful new home in a pretty garden. Soon he makes friends with all his new neighbours â€" a finch, a pair of field mice and a pretty butterfly â€" and he is as happy as happy can be. After a while, however, things start to go wrong and Mister Snail's neighbours complain about the mess he leaves behind with his slimy trails. Poor Mister Snail is devastated when they make it clear that they'd like him to leave his garden home if he doesn't change his ways. He is also very sad because they refuse to accept him the way he is. But before he leaves, he asks them for one more chance to change their minds. And that's when something magical happens. Imaginatively illustrated in colour by Nicci Nathanson, Mister Snail is a simple tale for young readers or listeners that demonstrates how friendship can be ruined through misunderstanding of difference, yet it reveals how a change of perspective and acceptance of others can heal relationships.