There aren’t many picture books that discuss the finer points of how to drill for oil, though if Tomi Ungerer’s delightful The Mellops Strike Oil is anything to go by, perhaps there should be. This is a strange book, full of useful facts on the kinds of fossils that are commonly found around oil-drilling sites (ammonites, belemnites and ceriths, in case you were wondering) and what an oil pump is called (derrick) but its charm is undeniable. The piggy Mellops are quite laid back about their discovery of oil while picknicking, taking naps and singing songs, and make quite a lovely, nostalgic family portrait.

Originally published in Germany in the fifties, these books were instant bestsellers, and have now been reissued so new generations can get to know the Mellops. With The Mellops Go Diving For Treasure and Christmas Eve at the Mellops also available, young readers and collectors alike will definitely want to spend more time with the quirky Mellops family.

[[holly-pic]] Holly Harper is a children’s bookseller at Readings Carlton where she organises the kids and Young Adult e-newsletters. She also writes books for younger readers under the name

[[mellops]]