The ornery protagonist Piper Paws hates his overly sweet mother's kisses and is a perfect enfant terrible at school. But Piper really loves his mother; in the end, they are reconciled, and Piper sells his stink bombs, slingshot, and firecrackers. Few have ever equaled Tomi Ungerer's dark genius when it comes to creating books for children; this welcome reissue is even more relevant to children today than when it was first issued.