This plot, like those in many of the author's books, is pure silliness of the sort that the four-and-five-year-old should love. The action is described without a wasted word. The full-color watercolor and ink illustrations flesh out the text and are innately humorous. This picture book is a good example of words and pictures working together to make a nicely-blended whole. Ages 4-8.
The Trouble with Grandad - Locked up for growing a dangerous vegetable, Grandad lands in a lot of trouble.
The Trouble With Gran - The trouble with Gran is that, beneath her grandmotherly exterior, she's an alien and a rather lively, headstrong one at that.
The Trouble with Dad - Dad is bored with his job and starts fiddling around with robots, much to Mom's consternation.
The Trouble with Mom - Mom, the lovable witch, does not seem to be able to get along with the other mothers due to her odd ways, such as driving her kids to school on her broom and wearing snakes in her hat, but in the end, she may be accepted when her special gifts come in handy.
By Babette Cole, Paperback, Simplified Chinese Characters and English, 27 pages, 7.5"x7.5"