Smudge is a mouse and Stripe, a badger, is her parent. They live in a tiny cottage with a leaky roof, but when Stripe suggests they might move, Smudge says an emphatic no: 'This is my home...and I like it'. Stripe continues her gentle persuasion by saying wouldn't it be nice to have a garden. When they go to see the possible new house, Smudge is won over by the garden and the river, though not by the dust and cobwebs. Together they explore and clean and paint, and by the time they move in, Smudge is very happy. The warm, cosy illustrations are home-like and comfortable.