When Mum Went to Work

This is a children's-eye-view of a mother who decides to give up being Earth Mother in a home in the country with a lovely garden, full of fruit trees, to take up a job in town. Jessica and Ollie are horrified and baby Harry reacts with screams and naughtiness as they are farmed out to Mrs Crabbe, the short-tempered child-minder who is not amused by Harry's drawings on the wall. Weekends with their self-obsessed father aren't much more successful, but Mother works on. Brigit Forsyth conveys the humour and love in this chaotic clash of interests.

[Ed's note: see page 13 for a review of the paperback edition of this story, renamed as Treasures for Cousin Crystal.]