Ernest is a nice little boy, and he always listens to his mother—“Nice children always listen to their mothers”—even though it means he never, ever has a good time but rather spends his time helping his mother with all the household chores. When new neighbors move in, he goes to visit them (after asking permission, of course) and discovers that little Vlapid, though he always listens to his mother, too, has considerably more fun with chores than Ernest does. Stone’s illustrations provide the subtext: Vlapid and his mother are monsters, if genteel ones, and they keep their house in a decidedly monstrous state of repair, which requires tearing draperies, breaking crockery and generally making mayhem. Ernest is pink and chinless, Vlapid green and all forehead; their matching black button eyes make them siblings under the skin. Gleefully subversive. (Picture book. 4-8)
