Christine Nöstlinger

It was Tom who was supposed to go and stay with the family in Vienna, but Jasper went instead. And, as 13-year-old Ewald and his little sister Billie were soon to find out, Jasper was quite a handful.

Konrad, a perfectly factory-made seven-year-old, is delivered by mistake to scatter-brained, non-conformist Mrs. Bartolotti, and the two devise a crazy plan to prevent his being reclaimed.