Happy Families Miss Brick The Builders Baby

Happy Families

by Allan Ahlberg, Colin McNaughton (Illustrator)

Mr and Mrs Brick are builders, just like their mothers and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers. But their new baby doesn’t seem to be following in their footsteps. Instead of building things up, she keeps knocking things down! Based on the classic ‘Happy Families’ card game, this highly entertaining series is ideal for reading and sharing at home or at school. It is guided by the Education Adviser, Brian Thompson, and written by the award-winning author, Allan Ahlberg. ‘The best thing to happen to beginner readers since Dr Seuss’ Children’s Rights Workshop.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Fiction

Paperback

First published March 26, 1981

About the author

Allan Ahlberg was one of the UK's most acclaimed and successful authors of children's books - including the best-selling Jolly Postman series. Born in Croydon in 1938, he was educated at Sunderland Technical College. Although he dreamed of becoming a writer since the age of twelve, his route to that goal was somewhat circuitous. Other jobs along the way included postman (not an especially jolly one, he recalls), gravedigger, plumber, and teacher.

Ahlberg wrote his first book when he was thirty-seven, after a decade of teaching - a profession that he maintains is "much harder" than being a writer. He says that if he hadn't become a writer, he would have loved to be a soccer player. He was married for many years to fellow children's author Janet Ahlberg, with whom he often worked. Their daughter, Jessica Ahlberg, is also a children's author.

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr and Mrs Brick are builders like their relatives so they think that Miss Brick, their baby will be a builder too. Things are not quite as they want it to be.

An amusing story with familiar characters, description and colourful pictures.

[Simac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:

The whole family was a brick family. Then they got a baby, then the baby was not a builder. The baby always used to knock down things, so they thought he wanted a pet dog house, so they made it. Then the baby knocked that down. Then they built a rabbits house, then the baby knocked down that even. Then they built a house for chicks, then the baby again knocked down that even. Then they went to another brickers house. There the baby went and the grandmother brick put her in the stroller. Then miss brick and mr brick went and build the house. Then the baby knocked down the house. The chimney was in the middle and the baby put the chimney on the side. Then the baby brick put two windows and the chimney on the grass. Then this is the funniest, the baby squashed the house and put the roof down and put the house on top of it. And then there was a stick, and that he put as a roof and then the windows was as a layer. And then the door was connected on the roof!!
Then they got a new baby, and the both babies of them built three houses with the block, and they both broke it! And then they said “oh no! This has become a bigger problem!”

The book was very funny. The baby was doing funny things. If I had a baby like that I will build a metal building with brick and cement and I won’t let him near!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone with a two-year old whose idea of a good time is building a tower of blocks and then sending it flying, this book is for you.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demolitions

Being a Brick means you build the houses. Even now I’m not quite sure why the don’t just accept the child as a demolitions expert. It is part of the building trade. Still I love the artwork with the hidden extra jokes built in. Not as fun as Mrs Wobble but good in its own way.

[Katy W · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Happy Families series are simply written yet interesting for early readers. As well as introducing a variety of occupations, there are diverse characters.