The Ramble Shamble Children, Hardcover

The delightful story of an unconventional family of kids who learn the ups and downs of working together.

Merra, Locky, Roozle, Finn, and little Jory love their ramble shamble house. It's a lot of work taking care of the garden, the chickens, and themselves, but they all pitch in to make it easier--even Jory, who looks after the mud puddles. When they come across a picture of a proper house in a book, they start wondering if their own home is good enough. So they get to work propering up the garden, the chickens, and even the mud puddles. But the results aren't exactly what they expected, and when their now-proper household's youngest member goes missing, they realize that their ramble shamble home might be just right for their family, after all.

About author(s):Christina Soontornvat is very proud of both her Thai and her Texan roots. She received Newbery Honors for both the middle grade fantasy A Wish in the Dark and All Thirteen, a nonfiction account of the Thai Cave Rescue. She's the author of the fantasy middle grade series The Changelings and the early chapter book series Diary of an Ice Princess. She holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in science education. She spent a decade working in the science museum field, where she designed programs and exhibits to get kids excited about science. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, two young children, and one old cat.

Lauren Castillo studied illustration at the Maryland Institute College of Art and received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She is the author and illustrator of the 2015 Caldecott Honor-winning book Nana in the City, as well as The Troublemaker and Melvin and the Boy. Lauren has also illustrated several critically acclaimed picture books, including Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley, Yard Sale by Eve Bunting, and City Cat by Kate Banks. She currently draws and dreams in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.