A family from Llwyngwril has been finding out what characters from The Gruffalo smell like, thanks to Guide Dogs Cymru.

The Sutton family – dad Paul, mum Rachel and children Isaac, Nell and Martha - were the first family to try out the Welsh language version of this popular children’s book, complete with a scent kit produced by the charity.

Each of the main characters in the book has a unique smell, which can be released to make reading an inclusive experience for the whole family. Guide Dogs Cymru hopes the fun project will highlight how important it is for children with a vision impairment to enjoy learning with their families.

Nell Sutton, who has just turned six, was born blind, and dad Paul lost his sight in his teens due to glaucoma. The family received support from Branwen Jones from Guide Dogs Cymru, when Nell was 18 months old. It was the first specialist support the family had received, and gave Nell the confidence and skills to get around using a cane “just like Daddy’s”.

Nell’s brother, Isaac, 13, read the book aloud to the family as Nell and younger sister Martha uncorked the scent kit. All three children thought the mouse smelt of lemon and strawberries, while the fox smelt of lettuce. They described the owl’s scent as “ice cream and mummy’s jumpers” and the snake’s as “salami”.

Mum Rachel said the project was great fun and highlighted the need for vision-impaired children to receive the right support from an early age.

“It’s hard to describe the worry and uncertainty that you feel when your child is born with such a severe vision impairment. Navigating the school system, local services and trying to access support groups can be really confusing and you just don’t know what to do for the best.

“It was a huge relief when we were introduced to Branwen from Guide Dogs. She was so positive about what Nell could do and gave us all a huge boost. Even though Nell was young to be using a cane, Branwen really encouraged her and she’s now well on the way to being able to use it all the time. The support we received from such a young age was invaluable.”

Guide Dogs teamed up with Macmillan UK to produce 150 Gruffalo scent kids. Some will be distributed among service users, with a limited number available to win via Guide Dogs UK’s social media channels.

You could win a copy of The Gruffalo, in Welsh or English, complete with scent kit, thanks to Guide Dogs Cymru.

To enter, simply email your answer to the question below, along with your name, address, and your language preference, to [email protected], with the subject ‘Gruffalo competition’ by 8 April.

Question: What did the Sutton family think the mouse smelt of?

Good luck! Usual Cambrian News terms and conditions apply.