Our lovely Fat Puffin has lived outside the Book House for the past 35 years.
He came as a gift from Puffin Books to celebrate our opening: we were one of the first specialist children’s bookshops in the country!
Puffin Books were pioneers in the field of children’s publishing; indeed they remain one of the most important publishers of quality children’s literature and their logo is instantly recognisable.

Fat Puffin is a landmark in Thame High Street, and during his years of Sentry Duty he has twice faced dangers at the demands of kidnappers …once a ransom had to be paid (to a local charity) in order to obtain his release from a most precarious position: dangling from a rope at the top of the Town Hall!
Recently Fat Puffin has found a girlfriend – whose name (chosen by popular vote in Thame’s primary schools) is Muffin.

Here they are celebrating their 70th Birthday!
Muffin has been an indoors bird recently, but is making a fashionable reappearance this summer.
Fat Puffin still represents the best in Children’s literature, which is why he is still smiling on our doorstep!