My brother's an egghead by Gretel Killeen

Puffin, 2011. ISBN: 978 0143305644.
Mum's promise to Eppie and Zeke is that, if they can manage to stay out of trouble for a day and politely take care of their new neighbours, she will buy them a puppy. When it turns out that the children, Tig and Pop, are aliens, Eppie and Zeke find it hard to do as they have promised. As a result, they dress themselves in somewhat bizarre armour, which includes donning inflatable life jackets.
With three more adventures to come, this series will probably hold most appeal to the disinclined male reader looking for a short and funny book. Although, as an adult reader, I didn't find the story to be wildly humorous, I have no doubt that children will love the 'gross and grotty' elements of the book and enjoy Mum being referred to by her children as Bum. Given the variations in font and print size and the inclusion of small cartoon style sketches, children are bound to find this series both engaging and easy to read.
Jo Schenkel