The Little Crooked Cottage : Mr. Pig Live . . . with Toby! + a TOBY Literary Lunch!

Happy Friday, folks! I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a heartwarming, feel good episode.

And that's just what we have for you today.

Please welcome today's friendly, four-legged and furry guest…

TOBY!

<<applause>>

Toby is the real life pooch who inspired Hazel Mitchell's picture book of the same name.

First, let's watch this very charming clip. . .

Ahh, what a sweet story. Okay, Toby, hop up on the couch so we can have a chat. Good boy, Toby.

(Note, the transcript for this interview has been translated from woofs to human, by our trusty canine translators.)

What is your full name?
Toby.

What one word best describes you?
Loveable.

What is the best thing about being you?
Living with my excellent people.

TOBY. Copyright © 2016 by Hazel Mitchell.
Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.

What is the worst thing about being you?

I get scared of a lot of things. That makes it hard for me to enjoy things, sometimes.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you bring?
Pepperoni.

Glad you didn't say bacon. What is your idea of the perfect day?
Wake up. Run around the garden. Get a cuddle. Nap. Wake up. Run around the garden. Get a snack (pepperoni). Nap. Have supper. Run around the garden. Get a cuddle. Bedtime.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Find homes for all the animals without people of their own.

What are you reading right now?
Because of Winn Dixie.

What is your favorite word?
Cuddletime!

TOBY. Copyright © 2016 by Hazel Mitchell.
Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.

What is you least favorite word?
Goodbye.

What is your favorite sound?
Daddy’s car drawing up.

What is your least favorite sound?
Fireworks.

Share one thing that most of our readers don’t know about you.
I was lost for eight days in wildest Maine.

If you could dine with three characters from other books, who would they be?
Snoopy, Lassie, Winn Dixie.

If you have a pocket, what is in it right now?
Pepperoni.

What is your most embarrassing moment?
The time when I was running fast, fast, fast and ran into a lawn chair and the cat was watching.

What is your pet peeve?
When my sister, Lucy, steals my hidden snacks. It’s so rude.

Quite. What was it like working with Hazel Mitchell?
She is pretty good. She draws me just right. I gave her a bit of help on the layout of my book, but otherwise it was ok. She always has pepperoni to share. Making books makes you hungry!

Speaking of hungry, we have a very special TREAT for you, Toby. Nina, from Mamabelly, has made you your very own Literary Lunch! While we roll the credits, follow me to the kitchen.

TOBY by Hazel Mitchell
Publisher - Candlewick Press
(September 2016)
ISBN: 978-0763680930

"Inspired by her own dog’s adoption story, illustrator Mitchell’s ... first book as author centers on a boy who has moved into a new neighborhood with his (presumably single) father...The highlight of this getting-to-know-you tale is Mitchell’s visual channeling of her characters’ emotions, both human and canine."
— Publishers Weekly

"Toby is a pleasing pup."
— Kirkus

"The book’s warmth and appeal come from the artwork. Pencil drawings are tinted with a soft palate of watercolor washes and digitally added colors. And while the soft browns, blues, greens, and grays create a subdued, rather melancholy tone throughout the book, both the boy and his lovable dog are smiling by the final scene."
— Booklist

Hazel Mitchell has illustrated numerous books for children. Toby is her author-illustrator debut. Originally from Yorkshire, England, she now lives in Maine with her husband and a brave rescue poodle named Toby, whose eight-day disappearance drew national attention when the story was shared across social media

[TOBY. Copyright © 2016 by Hazel Mitchell. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.]

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A TOBY LITERARY LUNCH!

Meet TOBY, the star of Hazel Mitchell's new heartwarming book about a boy, a rescue dog and the challenges to grow into a family. The book is based on the author's own experience of rescuing her dog Toby.