The Snaffles/The Snaffle Monster Family (working titles)
The Story: When one of the few remaining Snaffle Monster Families moves into a house on the edge of a town, at first they find it hard to make friends with either their human neighbours or the local wildlife and to confuse matters even further when an orphan bobcat/lynx kitten is found and taken in by a kind but unaware family in the cul-de-sac, all the animals in the street are confused as the domestic animals try to reconcile their domestic lives with their new monster and wild neighbours inclusive of the resident chameleon psychologist Feelwell, a blind puppy called Pandora who along with Iris (human child) picks up scent trails to help the children in the cul-de-sac to find missing or lost items or to solve problems and mysteries, Rox Sox a cat that hosts and runs the Wildlife Survival Show and wild workout fitness classes, Einstein a mature Ragdoll cat that creates gadgets and those on the outer edges (wild and feral neighbours that live around the cul-de-sac.) However, as the residents try to avoid the pranks and traps set by the Scrappy Scoundrels Crew which includes Bounder (raccoon), Mischief Toughclaws (feral cat), Conker a rude squirrel and Vesper a human male child and the Snaffle Monsters try to fit in despite their differences, some of the children discover a portal in the surrounding woods to a magical, wonderful island (Island of Wonders) which allows them to embark on some magical adventures and have some magical visitors at times when some of the islanders visit the woods for a vacation or a curious islander research scientist that is studying the human species visits to collect some data for their research projects. During their exploration of life together, Pandora, Iris, her younger brother Wolf, a young Snaffle Monster and a few other animals from the cul-de-sac embark on a search for purpose, explore their domestic, monster or wild lives, navigate friendships, stand up for animal rights, learn how to stand up to bullies and against peer wild life pressure, avoid any tricky breaches of Snaffle rules which could lead to chaos, debate pet care provisions, try to navigate and negotiate human care for pets from their human families and parents and tackle tricky emotional issues relating to the other children, families and animals that live in or around the cul-de-sac alongside them, who they speak to and interact with and as they try to live in harmony, they learn human and wildlife and nature life lessons along the way. Written by Jill Thrussell
Source: Horizons of Destiny, Heartland, The Christmas Happiness Wishlist Trail, Island of Wonders (Amazing Armadingo)
Themes: Self-Discovery, Friendship, Emotional Management, Care for Nature, Animal Rights & Peer Pressure
Age Range: 5 to 14 years & Family project