HUMOROUS STORIES (CHILDREN'S / TEENAGE). An untidy kid sets off a pest invasion like no other in this boisterously fun picture book about the perils of messy habits. Playing and having fun is a kid s job, right? Cleaning up is a parent's job, right? Why do grown-ups make such a fuss about tidiness and cleanliness, anyway? What s the worst that could happen? A couple of ants pass through? A lone little mouse pays a midnight call? No big deal, right?...

At first Henry's very neat cousin doesn't like the cookies from under his bed or Mudge's slobbery kisses, but when they all play frisbee, she begins to enjoy her visit.

Timothy Limpet feels out of place in the troll family - he likes things to be just so, and most trolls, frankly, don't. Tabitha Lumpit likes things to be loud, loopy and messy and she feels a fish out of water in her very neat family.

Little Oink is a neat little pig, but his parents will not allow him to play until he is messy, as pigs should be.

"Cat has made a BIG mess! 'Maybe you should clean it up,' says Dog. 'Cleaning is boring,' she replies. She would rather move the mess, or jump on it, or hide it under the bed. Will Dog ever be able to convince her to clean up?"--

When Daddy is unhappy about the mess after a pillow fight, JoJo thinks of the perfect gift.

Daddy and his little one are cleaning up before dinner, while having fun with spatial-relationship math words and phrases, like up, down, inside, outside, next to, and under.

Charlie Bumpers is sure he does not stand a chance of getting along with his fourth grade teacher and despite his best efforts to be neat and well-behaved, he always seems to be in trouble until he discovers her secret.

Robug tries to obey when Jake instructs it to "Fix this mess!" but somehow manages to make things worse.

Magpies Meg and Ash want their nest to be the best, and to have everything their chicks will need when they hatch, so they add everything from cuckoo clocks to mops and socks.