In this delightful nonsense poem, Ashley Fayth introduces readers to a range of “wild and wondrous” beasts—like the sniger, the floose, the squffin, and the butterflabbit. With its playful rhymes and rollicking rhythm, this book is a perfect read-aloud. Yet even in its silliest moments, The Sniger and the Floose is a gentle reminder to respect and preserve the beauty of the natural world around us, and a joyous celebration of imagination.

Ashley Fayth is an award-winning singer/songwriter and children's author from Random Island, Newfoundland. Her original songs for global conservation campaigns (Chester Zoo, EAZA, RSPO) have been translated into multiple languages, and are taught in classrooms all around the world. Ashley's debut children's book, Blueberry Bay, was showcased as part of Canada's Department of Fisheries and Ocean's World Oceans Day, and explores the impact of plastic pollution on marine wildlife. She lives with her husband and pint-sized daughter in Chester, England, where in-between playgroups and endless loads of laundry, she is working on a new collection of seasonal songs for children (and their grown-ups).

Ashley Fayth's profile page

An author-illustrator based in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England, Katie Brosnan received a Master's Degree in Children's Book Illustration (with distinction) from the Cambridge School of Art. She has written and/or illustrated several books, including the acclaimed Keith Among the Pigeons (longlisted for the 2020 Klaus Flugge Prize) and Gut Garden (winner of the 2020 North Somerset Teachers” Book Award — Information Book category; longlisted for the 2020 SLA Information Book Award). Her illustrations feature in Andy Jones's hilarious Barefoot Helen and the Giants.

Katie Brosnan's profile page

Ashley Fayth has created a delightful nonsense poem where readers meet a range of "wild and wondrous" beasts, including the singer, the floose, the squiffin and the butterflabbit. Katie Brosnan's illustrations provide the perfect accompaniment to Fayth's playful rhymes and rollicking rhythm. It's a lovely reminder of how important it is to respect and preserve the beauty of the natural world.

Jeffrey Canton

There is nothing better than a bit of nonsense, and The Sniger and the Floose is a marvellous example of nonsense at its best. The random animals of "a very Random Island in the North Atlantic [Sea]" will delight people of all ages with its clever combinations of perfectly paced text and mind-boggling art. You'll meet creatures of the land, sea and air, none of them ever photographed, all of them shown in Katie Brosnan's clever painting. The porpazelle, the hippopotipanda, the jelly figeon; they're all here to delight the young naturalist. What fun it would be to read this and take a small person of imagination on a nature walk, speculating about where the various creatures might be hiding.

Jean Graham