Out at the end of the dock, past the swimming hole, lives the grumpiest soul in all of Sandalwood. His name is Barnabas Crunch. He grumbles at the mornings, shoos the children off his dock, and everyone in the village knows he's the crankiest man for miles. Everyone is completely, absolutely wrong. Because in the quiet hours, someone has been leaving gifts around Sandalwood. A basket of compost. A stack of firewood. A mended fence. A hand-carved shell for a big, soft bullfrog who was sure he was a monster. A tiny saucer of sugar-water for the little folk no one believes in. When Dolly the Boxer follows her nose to the truth, she uncovers a lifetime of quiet kindness — and the wish one grumpy old man has carried since he was a boy no one would believe. Barnabas Crunch: The Grumpy Gift-Giver of Sandalwood is a warm, painterly picture book about being different, being disbelieved, and choosing kindness anyway. Perfect for children who feel too big, too much, or too easy to overlook — and for the grown-ups who love them. Includes a bonus story, The Shell, revealing how Barnabas and Mortimer became friends, plus Barnabas's Rules for Secret Kindness and a challenge inviting young readers to become secret gift-givers themselves. A Mudpies Universe Story — the growing painterly picture-book world by Brian Edward McDermott, RN.