Ernest always helps out at home and always does what his mother tells him to do. “Ernest never: spilled, whined, dawdled, talked back, got his own way . . . or had a good time.” When a new family moves in up the hill, Ernest pays them a visit (after getting his mother’s permission, of course) and meets Vlapid. “You look like the kind of boy who always listens to his mother,” Vlapid’s mother tells him. Vlapid’s mother has a to-do list of her own—Kitchen, Dining Room, Living Room. It turns out that Vlapid, too, always listens to his mother, and the two boys set to work, wreaking havoc in each room. Vlapid’s mother is thrilled with the results. Florence Parry Heide and Roxanne Heide Pierce’s deliciously subversive picture book story is paired with funny, pitch-perfect illustrations by Kyle M. Stone contrasting Ernest’s straight-laced, uptight existence at home with Vlapid’s Addams-esque family life. (Ages 5–9)

Ernest always does what his mother asks...and never has any fun. When a new boy moves in next door, Ernest's mother encourages her son to make friends. But the new neighbors seem a little bit...strange--monstrous, even. Obeying Ernest's new friend Vlapid's mother means Ernest must do things he'd never dare try at home. And it's fantastic!

Veteran children's book author Florence Parry Heide and her daughter Roxanne Heide team up with Kyle M. Stone to create a gleefully subversive take on the traditional new neighbor story. Lots of energy and mayhem, and a cool gothic approach to the illustrations make this a great choice for Halloween and all year round.