Don't Step on the Crack!

Following the old adage about not stepping on a crack in the pavement, this cautionary tale illustrates some untoward events which might ensue if you do step on a particular crack in a particular pavement in a particular town. Perhaps the worst of these might be your dad turning into a hippy, your mum going for a younger look, forgetting to put on trousers before going to school, or turning into a pig. The author's voice points out that the crack might not be in your town, or your street or your pavement, but then again it might, 'so just in case ... Don't step on the crack!' The bespectacled lad addressed has just the right air of bewilderment, and young readers will empathise with him as he comes to grips with the arbitrariness of life seen through folk-lore and superstition. While the illustrations and text are not vintage McNaughton, there is an engaging and lively feel to this picture book.