Few people can fail to be charmed and cheered by Cecil Aldin's mischievous puppies which first came to life on the walls of his children's nursery.
Scamp, the mongrel; Poppy, so-called because of her red colouring and Snowball, the white terrier, were lovable rascals always looking for adventure and a stolen snack. Then there was Bill, the bob-tailed pup, who tugged at the heartstrings as he sought friendship but was scorned because of his truncated rear end.
They were among the stars of a series of eagerly-awaited books issued each year in time for Christmas in the decade before the 1914-18 war and whose escapades delighted a generation of children. Now, in a special edition of selections by Roy Heron, they join the other reissued Aldin classics, A Dog Day, The Rascal and Sleeping Partners.