Devon children’s author Erin Allgrove, who also owns The Maltsters Arms riverside pub near Tuckenhay and founded Langrove Publishing, is celebrating the launch of her latest children’s book after collaborating closely with local school pupils.

The new title, The Adventures of Seagull Scruff, officially hit independent bookshops, Waterstones, and coastal retailers on May 26, following vital creative input from students at Dartmouth Academy.

Allgrove, already known for her maritime-themed Bosun Bob series, expands her coastal literary universe with this humorous and heartwarming tale.

Allgrove wrote her first book, Bosun Bob the Salty Old Sea Dog, whilst living on board her yacht, Rocket, sailing from Exmouth to Croatia with her family and dog, Bob.

Her previous titles also include Bosun Bob and the Cat with No Name (2025), and the next in the series, Bosun Bob and the Stowaway Rat, is due to be published in 2027.

Remaining inspired by her adventures at sea and her passion for coastal life, Allgrove now turns her attention to a new character in The Adventures of Seagull Scruff.

Scruff is a mischievous but lovable young seagull facing a tough start in life as he navigates the challenges of growing up, learning to behave, and discovering the redemptive power of friendship and kindness.

Speaking on choosing a seagull character, Ms Allgrove said she became fixed on the idea after observing the local seabirds - who are deeply misunderstood in Allgrove's opinion.

“Scruff was inspired by the behaviour of real gulls, from their scavenging in town centres to their acrobatic flight and intelligent foraging techniques,” Ms Allgrove said. “Seagulls are hugely clever creatures and often hilarious to watch. Scruff’s character is bold, cheeky and adventurous — but underneath it all there’s a lot of heart.”

The book’s journey to publication involved a unique community collaboration. The author has been proactive in schools across Devon, running workshops and storytelling sessions.

Allgrove has also revealed that feedback from students at Dartmouth Academy proved instrumental during the final stages of development, with the children responsible for renaming the book's title from Steven Seagull to Seagull Scruff.

The children’s creative input perfectly echoes the book’s themes of growth, learning, and kindness - demonstrating how young voices can meaningfully shape a story about finding one’s place in the world.

But all children’s books need powerful pictures to accompany the words. Seagull Scruff has been brought to life by local artist and illustrator Daisy Mason.

Based in Dartmouth, Mason said she spent months studying the coastal birds to perfect the book's visual style.

“When Erin asked me to illustrate Seagull Scruff I had to say yes,” Ms Mason said. “It’s been great fun observing the habits and behaviour of the gulls in and around Dartmouth and bringing that to the illustrations. I have drawn hundreds and hundreds of gulls to try and perfect those pictures.”

Ms Allgrove praised the illustrations, noting that Mason had perfectly captured the “cheeky, sometimes naughty behaviour of our local gulls as well as demonstrating some of their more natural instincts.”

The book has already gathered high praise from contemporary children's writers, with author Chris McGuire calling it a “heartwarming story” with “brilliant illustrations”, while Orlando Murrin described it as a “hilarious and heartwarming yarn about growing up.”