I WANT TO BE LIKE MUNGO

I don't really - but I want to be WITH Mungo, and luckily for the moment Tots and I are visiting Iseult (Mungo, really).



His wonderful competition I WANT TO BE LIKE MUNGO is closed. Tottie and I entered (twice) but both entres were very poor. But what else could they be? How could anyone be like him...

I'm looking forward to seeing who won, if any one reached the required standard, but most of all, I'm looking forward to Mungo's new book.

It will be out soon so don't forget to pre-order!

A WONDERFUL EVENT

Today, such a wonderful thing happened that I have to let you know the details.

Tottie and I were upstairs reading some of the wonderful words that the most fantastic writer has written (I was reading Mango, and Tottie was reading Leaf) when Mummy Valerie called us downstairs. She was on the pc, hogging the internet as usual. Then she said "Guess who's on-line at the moment?"

I thought it was Mummy Iseult. Tottie suggested the Pope.

We were both wrong!

Can you guess?

If you guessed Dean Koontz, Garth Nix or Darley Anderson, you're wrong! It was someone much much much much much better... MUNGO!!!

Yes, he wanted to speak to us, to encourage us, to be kind to us... *** SIGH ***

Isn't he wonderful!

LAST FEW PHOTOS

Here are a few more photos I managed to get hold off from that wonderful day:

Here's a lovely photo of Mummy Iseult with Mungo, my wonderful hero!

Better still is Tottie and me - and Mungo's wonderful new book "Mango"!

Best of all - the author spends a little time with Tottie, me and Miss Monkey!

MANGO: THE UNLUCKY MONKEY

I have just finished reading Mango: The Unlucky Monkey non-stop since the wonderful book launch... It's so BRILLIANT! It's really hard to put down.

I am going to catch up on my sleep now (but I know I'll be dreaming of the jungle and Leaf and Jewel and Mango and Cotty and Rainbow and all the others...)

Before I go, here are a few pics I meant to post before:

Details of the fabulous I WANT TO BE LIKE MUNGO competition (as if anyone could!) But I think everyone should enter!

Tottie watching over copies of the book during the book launch (wait til you see her for Tottie: The Demon Rabbit Slayer - she'll be packing a lot of armour that day!)

One of my favourite photos from the day!!!

MORE ON THE BOOK LAUNCH

Just want to post a few photos to show everyone what a wonderful day it was - then I'm back to read Mango again!

I hope they make a film of it. I wonder who will play the leading roles???

Tottie is standing guard on the door before Mungo's brilliant new book is launched - with one ear flopping over her eye, she looks like Cotty, doesn't she????

The wonderful author of Mango: The Unlucky Monkey and my hero! How handsome he is... *** Sigh***

Here he is again!!! With a copy of his new book before him, about to read from it and entertain and edify the huge crowd who have come to listen to Mungo...

And now he reads to us... (What a wonderful profile!)

This is a nice photo, isn't it? See how Mungo is looking after Tottie!

BLISS!

Hi everyone!

I haven't been able to post cos me and Tottie have been glued to Mungo's new book "Mango: The Unlucky Monkey." (She's very lucky really, cos Mungo has written about her!)

The book is : FANTASTIC! WONDERFUL! WARM AND ENDEARING! BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN! SUPER CHARACTERS... Everything Leaf was - but MORE!!

Mungo, you're the best!!!!

WHAT JOY!

Tottie and I had a really wonderful experience on Saturday - We saw MUNGO!

Even better, we talked and chatted to him, and spent quite a lot of time with him, especially in the evening when the conference was over.

Oh, it was at the DN Fight to Write conference! Mungo naturally was a guest speaker - he is king of the Nodpots after all! - and he got us jobs there so we could be with him to see him and hear him!

Sigh!! It was lovely....

Here are some photos. I was chief photographer, although other members of the team kept grabbing the camera off me.

Here we are, waiting for the conference to begin!

Doesn't he look handsome, sitting on his throne?

Don't we look great together???

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

What wonderful news! I've never heard anything better!

Mungo, you are SOOOOOOOO wonderful!

Did you all hear?

Mungo's fabulous new book "Mango" is finished!!

I'm so happy!

MUNGO IS GREAT!

Sometimes people take it for ganted - I mean, everybody knows Mungo is absolutely fantastic in every way - but we forget to tell him.

Look at generous he was to Sparkie!

Sparkie promised the Nodpots hundreds of years ago that he would get a gavel for Marvin.

Sadly, he was unable to do so - until Mungo kindly helped him out

And he did this, knowing that he was helping Sparkie to get loads and loads of points! Helping a rival for the DNOTY 2007 - isn't that the most generous thing you EVER heard?

No wonder he's my hero!!

It's nearly March!

I haven't posted for a while because - well, because Tottie and I have been so excited lately we haven't been able to sleep at night, and that's left us really tired during the day.

Even now, I can barely get my thoughts together to do this post but I don't want anyone to think I'm dead or anything.

It's just because it's almost March.

And March means - my very own first birthday!

And I'm hoping for a very special pressie....

I can't wait!!!

HAPPY ST VALENTINE'S DAY!

This is new custom to me and Tottie. I had heard of St. Valentine, a bishop, I believe, martyred during the Christian persecutions of Roman times (3rd Century?) but apparently on his feast day - February 14th - everyone sends their true love flowers and chocolates and things.


Tottie and I got a mysterious Valentine text message - I won't tell you what it said, just show you our lovely picture:

Isn't it great?

Thank you, secret Valentine, whoever you are!

BUSY MANGO

I've been so busy since I came back to Dublin.

Mungo has promised to do a tour now that he is King of the Nodpots. Tottie and I have been going around telling EVERYONE about Mungo being DNOTY 2006. I never realised before that there were SO many people in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, and they all want to hear every detail of that wonderful night.

I could tell it over and over again - I love reliving every moment! It was the best night ever!

I haven't had much time since for updating my blog. That's why I put on some photos - just so people wouldn't think I was no longer updating, and stop checking it.

But I know people aren't interested in those things - they only want news of Mungo!

Who could blame them??

Me at the Beach

I had only just arrived when the photo was taken - which is why I'm not too sandy yet!

More photos

Here are a couple more photos from Sunday - I hope you like them!

Janna doing an elegant two step dance!

Meanwhile JB makes some waves...

Do you think Janna likes the beach? Hmm...

WATER BABIES

Photographs from a recent visit to the beach by some of the pack:

Doesn't JB look like he loves the water?

And could this be Funghi, diving among the waves?????

THE BIG NIGHT!

Finally the big night arrived - December 31st!


Mummy Iseult prepared a lovely meal, and her room looked great. The nodpots all dressed in their best, and everyone looked forward to a fun filled night.




Mungo exchanging jokes with fellow nominee Parsley

After the meal was devoured, the excitement mounted. Mummy Valerie kept going round saying "I hope Mungo won't be too disappointed!" I think she really felt concerned but she shouldn't have worried.

Mummy Iseult showing her steady hand shortly before the vote


It was getting close to the finale of the night. Tottie and I were nervous, the fur of our paws damp... Would justice be done that night?

Mungo remained his insouciant self.

Graciously acknowledging his fans before the result

Three soft flat packages appeared, one for Mungo, one for Mummy Iseult and one for Mummy Valerie (strangely none for Marvin and Parsley, the other two nominees).

Then the cup was placed on the table, a strip of paper covering the name of the winner.

A hushed silence fell.

Together, Mummy Iseult and Mummy Valerie seized one end of the paper each, and - ripped it off. The winner was ... MUNGO!

Mummy Iseult was devastated.

Mummy Iseult moves aside while the toys congratulate Mungo

But we did our best to console her.

We knew that justice had been done, though, and although we felt sorry for Mummy Iseult not making her three in a row, we are still celebrating!


'COS MUNGO IS DISRESPONSIBLE NODPOT OF THE YEAR!

Even Marvin looks thrilled!

THE VOTES...

Some months ago, Tottie and I started our campaign to ensure Mungo won Disresponsible Nodpot of the Year 2006.

We knew it would have to be a good one, in case there was stiff competition. First we campaigned among the toys in Theotokos. Then in Churchtown. Finally we moved onto people - not just the residents of the house where we were staying, but all of the neighbours, and voters of the burrough.




I must say they were very supportive - thank you, voters of Dun Laoghaire & Rathdown!

Unfortunately voting was restricted to the members of The Disresponsible Nodpots. This was tough - neither Tottie nor I could vote!

At the start of the campaign, we were only guaranteed one vote. There were rumours of a cartel, a unified front against Mungo.

But we were undeterred.

We talked to the Nodpots. We pointed out Mungo's superiority (as if they could fail to notice it). We reminded them of the brilliance of LEAF, in case they forgot it. We gave them badges. We got endorsements from famous toys (eg Snuggles) and famous actors (Vin Diseal). We even took out ads in the national newspapers (until someone told me that the DNs don't read newspapers).

Then there was a set back.

Without our knowledge, and without Mungo's presence, the other DNs decided to cast their votes ...

Nobbles stood in for Mungo - could we trust him?? (Of course we could!)

But could we trust ANY of the others?

Fortunately there was one ray of hope - Auntie Pamela was chosen to be auditor and vote counter. We knew we could trust her to make sure justice was done!

Tomorrow I shall tell you about the excitment on the night, the last minute attempts to nobble Mungo, and the unveiling of the trophy!

MUNGO

Mungo is great.

But everyone knows that.

Unless they're blind, deaf, dumb and dead.

Mungo decided early last year to show the members of the Disresponsible Nodpots how to write. On January 10th 2006, he put pen to paper - or rather, paw to keyboard - and started the wonderful novel "In Search of Ramune". Because Mummy Iseult copied his title for her story "In Search of the Moon" (sincerest form of flattery, so don't be embarrassed, Mummy), Mungo kindly renamed his book "Leaf: In search of Raumne."

Mungo's book is brilliant. Just as you would expect. Fast paced, witty, exciting, and imaginative, I have never read its equal! Just as Mungo's equal does not exist either.

To win Disresponsible Nodpot of the year, you do not have to write a brilliant book, nor does a masterpiece automatically win you the title (though you might think it would). No, it is a mixture of points and votes. The points are based on reading as much as writing and submitting. Despite this disadvantage (Mungo only reads brilliant books that he has written), Mungo tied with Mummy Valerie with 3 points apiece (see the advantage of reading a lot?), with Mummy Iseult (who writes a lot) at 2 points, and Marvin and Parsley with 1 each.

So it came down to the votes...ten votes, which would decide the outcome...

I will tell you more tomorrow!

2007 - Year of Mungo!

Well, I've being saying it, he's being saying it but now it's official - MUNGO IS GREAT!!!!!

As voted by the Disresponsible Nodpots, Mungo is Disresponsible Nodpot of the Year 2006, which means for 2007 he is the Champ. The King. Master of the world.

I said that he would do it, and indeed he did!

We're in Blackrock at the moment, touring a tour for the fans, a sort of lap of honour, but I will be back in Dublin soon, ready to reveal the whole story.