The Topsy Turvies

Study of the cover tells us this story is peopled with unusual folk. The portraits on the wall hang upsidedown, and the family walk on their hands whilst juggling sausages! The illustrator beautifully matches and elaborates the text with lots of quirky goings-on, every page bringing visual delights. Kitchen utensils housed in wellie boots, flowers growing in a saucepan, and the family, when they wake up at midnight, get dressed in pyjamas, and go upstairs to eat dinner. Mum reminds Jinx to eat with his fingers and toes, and remember his fork is for combing his hair! The visually literate will delight in spotting oddities, such as the family watching the upside down TV, the plug lying inert beside it. Trouble begins when the family is asked to look after a neighbour’s child. They go next door, and find the (normal) house very bewildering. Everything we see looks conventional, but not to the Topsy-Turvies! ‘What an odd house,’ proclaims Mr Topsy-Turvy. When a burglar breaks in just as they all wash their feet before eating, it is the family’s ‘odd’ behaviour that saves the day. Mum Topsy-Turvy sums up, ‘It takes all sorts to make a world.’ Whilst not crammed with detail, the whacky pictures supporting witty text will ensure this book becomes a favourite.