Three cheers for Granny! When she discovers a mouse in the rain boot, she helps him find a new house, and adds some cozy new touches. The story is told in rhyme as well, which children do like if it's done well.

Maybe after hearing this story, a class could draw and color pictures of what kind of little room they would have made Janie in the hole in the tree.

Jamie and the Smelly Welly is an utter delight from start to finish .

Told in rhyming couplets, this is the tale of Jamie - a little mouse- who is comfortably nestled in a wellington boot that belongs to granny ...until a foot awakens his slumber and he finds himself being catapulted across a garden.

Granny and Jamie strike up a friendship and a new house has to be found.

Eileen Haywood's prose is perfect for young story listeners and emerging readers whilst Lisa Melia Volkova' illustrations are beautiful and full of character and colour- a winning combination.

This is a book for 2-6 year olds - a bedtime story or a EYFS or KS1 class or group read. Lots to talk about and imagine. A story about friendship and helping others and it's also the start of a series!!

Highly recommended. I'll be sharing this with school colleagues as there is much potential as a story and beyond .

Thank you to Troubadour publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy for an honest review

Jamie and the Smelly Welly, written by Eileen Haywood and illustrated by Lisa Melia Volkova, is a sweet and engaging read perfect for children aged 4 to 6. The story delivers a warm, relatable lesson about the value of helping others, with a rhythmic rhyming scheme that should easily capture early listeners' attention. The book’s illustrations feature large, vibrant, and fun images that make it an enjoyable read for children.

The book's illustrations feature large, vibrant, and fun images that make it a very enjoyable read for children. While it runs slightly on the longer side for a typical picture book, the rhythmic cadence keeps the story moving seamlessly, making the extra length feel like a clear benefit rather than a drawback.

It makes an excellent read-aloud choice for educators. It works wonderfully in the classroom as a soothing end-of-day wrap-up or as text for social-emotional lessons focused on kindness and community.

I really enjoyed this cute children's book about a mouse who lives in a granny's shoe, and eventually the granny finds a new cozy place for him to love and the two of them become friends.
The illustrations are very fun a soothing.
I loved the rhyming patterns in this and I can definitely see myself reading this for a future storytime.

The Illustrations Absolutely Steal the Show

Thank you to NetGalley and Troubador Publishing Ltd for providing an advance reading copy.

⭐️ Overall: 5/5 | 🎨 Illustrations: 5/5

Jamie and the Smelly Welly takes a very small, silly premise and turns it into a genuinely charming little adventure.

The story begins with Jamie the mouse asleep inside one of Granny’s wellington boots, and from there things escalate quickly into flying mice, nets, panic, confusion, and eventually a very sweet friendship. The humor works because the danger always stays playful rather than scary, and Granny never becomes cruel—just startled, overwhelmed, and eventually very tender once she realizes Jamie is frightened too.

The illustrations are easily the standout. The hand-drawn colored-pencil texture gives the entire book so much warmth, and the movement is fantastic. Granny kicking her leg, Jamie flying through the air, the chase with the net, and the dizzy-motion sequences all feel active rather than static. The art doesn’t just decorate the story; it performs the physical comedy.

I also loved the tiny-world details. Jamie’s little furnishings and especially the framed photo of Granny and Jamie add a ridiculous amount of charm and make the friendship feel like it continues beyond the immediate story.

The prose holds up well beside the artwork. It has a playful rhythm, frequent rhyme, and sound patterns that should make this especially fun to read aloud. The friendship and lesson also grow naturally out of the chaos rather than feeling stapled onto the ending.

This is one of those picture books where the visual style makes me immediately want more from the illustrator and more time in the world.

Who Should Read?

A great pick for children who enjoy silly animal adventures, physical comedy, and warm friendship stories, especially as an adult-supported read-aloud. I also think adults will enjoy this one—the art has enough personality and detail to make it fun well beyond the target age.

This story was adorable. I really love that it was told from the Mouse's perspective. I was not expecting this to be a story about kindness and friendship. I was pleasantly surprised.

What happens when Granny finds a mouse in her welly?? She helps him find a new home of course! This is a really sweet story and I love a good rhyme. Kids will definitely enjoy this one. The illustrations are really sweet and cozy.

Jamie and the Smelly Welly by Eileen Haywood, illustrated by Lisa Melia Volkova, is a charming, gentle, and wonderfully cosy story about Jamie, a little mouse who finds himself unexpectedly homeless when Granny puts on the welly he's been sleeping inside. What begins as a rather startling encounter soon develops into an unexpected friendship, as Granny discovers Jamie and sets about finding a way to help him. Although the target audience appears to be EYFS and KS1, I have no doubt that some KS2 readers could enjoy its warmth and simplicity too. The story explores friendship, kindness and finding a safe place to belong, with Eileen's writing using a lovely level of vocabulary while remaining calm and accessible for younger or less experienced readers. The story never feels like it jumps from one moment to the next; instead, it has a gentle rhythm that makes it particularly easy and pleasurable to follow.

The illustrations beautifully complement the story, adding warmth and character without overwhelming the words. This is one of those books that is simple in premise but an absolute pleasure to read, and I particularly appreciated how low-stimulation the storytelling feels. There is something rather lovely about being able to settle into a story without feeling rushed, while still having enough vocabulary and detail to offer younger readers something to discover. Jamie's vulnerability and Granny's kindness create a sweet emotional thread, and I found myself genuinely invested in seeing where their unexpected encounter would lead.

Honestly, my only limitation is that I finished the book wishing there was another one! Jamie and the Smelly Welly feels like the beginning of something that could grow into a lovely little series of adventures, and I really hope Eileen Haywood considers continuing Jamie's story. It is a delightful choice for EYFS and KS1 readers looking for a calm, accessible, heartwarming read, with a gentle reminder that an unexpected encounter can sometimes lead to friendship, kindness, and finding somewhere you truly belong.