Little Blue is an intrepid little character who lives in an upturned boat with his mum and dad off the coast of Southern Australia. His friends are Rocky, a baby rockhopper penguin with a bright yellow crest, and Joey, a little kangaroo. His enemies are Fick and Fin the wisecracking sharks, and Big Grey and his gang of burly kangaroos.

Auntie Pen is coming to tea and Little Blue's mum is trying to clean him up. But however much Little Blue tries to stay clean, it just doesn't happen! He covers his face with his flipper to keep it clean, but then trips over in the dirt because he can't see where he's going. Then he goes swimming with Rocky but is chased by Fick and Fin and gets caught up in lots of smelly seaweed. Joey suggests getting clean by a roll in the dust, but this only makes things worse. Finally, just when Little Blue is about to get a rocket from his mum, the clouds open and the rainfall gets him clean - just in time!

This is volume 28 in My First Read Alones .

There are 48 pages in this book. This book was published 1999 by Hachette Children's Group .

Andy Ellis is an animator as well as an illustrator. His work for Hodder Children's Books includes the Little Blue and Little Animal Ark series. Margaret Ryan is a full time writer after a long career as a primary school teacher. She is now an established younger fiction author and travels extensively throughout Scotland, England and Wales visiting schools and libraries.