Snuff by Quentin Blake

Red Fox 2010 (Re-issue, originally published 1973). ISBN 9781849410489.
(Ages 3+) Sir Thomas Magpie is a gallant knight, who spends his days dancing, sword fighting - and trying to prevent his boots from being eaten by mice. Snuff is his loyal page, whose job it is to mend Sir Thomas's boots after they have been chewed.
Snuff longs to become a real knight, but tends to be dreamy and accident prone. However, when the local boot-maker is threatened with robbery it is Snuff's ingenuity that saves the day, and his reward helps him on the road to successful knighthood.
The combination of deadpan text and whimsical illustration has timeless appeal and it's hard to believe this classic story was first published 37 years ago. Blake's spiky, distinctive illustrations are so full of life and deserve to be shared with a new generation of young readers who will relish the story of the small boy who saves the day.
Claire Larson