Toodle the Cavoodle is helping the grandparents of Lillipilly Lane get things ready for a special party. But … he stumbles and bumbles and worries he’s in trouble. Whoops-a-diddle, Toodle! When he skedaddles, Toodle finds himself stuck where no-one can find him. Oh no! Will Toodle miss the special party?
Toodle’s adventure sees him discover that he is loved no matter what — from one of Australia’s greatest storytellers.
‘I love spending time reading stories to my two grand-daughters, and Richard Tulloch’s Toodle the Cavoodle, Sniffle Snuffle is such a joy to read out loud. Toodle the Cavoodle is pure entertainment for the entire family!’ – Richard Wilkins, AM – Channel 9 Entertainment Editor
‘A charming story, told in rich, entertaining language with imaginative and inspiring illustrations – it’s a delight.’ – Noni Hazlehurst – Actor and Author
Aleesah Darlison – Author, Australia Reads Ambassador –
Toodle the Cavoodle is back in another adventure, this one is called Whoops-a-diddle. Friendly Toodle wants to help his human neighbours, but unfortunately with his fumbling and bumbling he ends up getting in the way and making a mess. Ashamed, Toodle goes off to hide in the barn only to get locked in.
Children will have fun reading and repeating the fun alliterative words that add bounce, sound, and energy to this story. Some words may be familiar and others not so, that’s part of the fun of reading and extending young readers as they learn to conquer new words.
Much of the appeal of Toodle is his larger-than-life personality and his sense of fun and adventure. He’s very much like his child readers, both in personality and emotions. We can all learn something from Toodle’s experiences and there’s always a gentle lesson woven through the narrative. A great read for bedtime or anytime, Toodle the Cavoodle: Whoops-a-diddle is sure to delight young ones aged 3 – 7 years.
Jane Smith – Author –
Toodle the Cavoodle is a delightful new character from the talented and prolific author Richard Tulloch and illustrator Heidi Cooper Smith. In ‘Whoops-a-diddle’ we meet the lovable Toodle, who always seems to be getting under someone’s feet. When the residents of Lillipilly Lane are preparing for a party, Toodle causes all sorts of havoc – but when he goes missing (accidentally locked in a barn) the neighbours rally to find him.
The playfulness of Tulloch’s words is irresistible. All the crashes and whoops-a-diddles and ker-platters and skedaddlings, and all the onomatopoeia (the whoo-oo! of the wind and the scree-ee-ee! of the rusty door hinges) make this a rollicking read-aloud. The character descriptions, seen from a dog’s close-to-the ground viewpoint (the grubby gumboots grandma, the clippy cloppy lady and the smelly sneakers grandpa) are a real treat. On top of this we have Toodle’s cute ‘dialogue’ like ‘Rowff!’ and ‘Har-oo-har-oo!’ – words that are helpfully translated by the narrator (the latter means ‘Get me out of here’, if you didn’t know!)
The illustrations are full of action, and the design makes excellent use of font colour and variation to enhance the effects of the words. I have no doubt young children will want the adults in their lives to read ‘Whoops-a-diddle’ over and over again.