Kid Swap

A new title in the popular Jiggy McCue series, Kid Swap does what it says on the tin. Hapless, but likeable Jiggy McCue is pitched into Reality TV-land by his careless parents who are after a quick buck to shore up the ailing family finances. True to TV form, Jiggy’s adoptive family, the Nexts, are chosen to be radically different from his own. For a start, they are seriously rich; their household comes complete with servants, pool and stables, while the children attend a progressive school called Springhollow. None of this cheers the outraged Jiggy, who takes an instant dislike both to his ‘swap-partner’, the overly perfect Toby and to the show’s director, DD. Predictably enough, the accident-prone Jiggy is soon taking pratfalls left, right and centre and whether catapulting into a heap of horse manure or losing his trunks in the swimming pool, he is sure to find the attentive eye of the camera on him.

So far, so familiar for those who have followed Jiggy throughout his previous misadventures, but Lawrence spices up the story with some wonderfully bizarre elements. These include food-faddery for the Nexts who are ‘Sans-earthists’ – they only eat what grows above ground – a visit from an elf, clog-dancing and a metal tracking device in the shape of a rose-pin. Crazy effect follows crazy cause in a dizzying spiral, but it all leads to a satisfying conclusion in which smug DD gets his comeuppance and Jiggy is reunited with friends and family. Full of rueful good humour, Kid Swap is a perfect read for Jiggy fans.