Frank tends the rubbish heap in the monster realm, just on the other side of the human world. In his spare time, he builds inventions out of scraps of rubbish. One of his inventions is of a human-inspired robot, with a stained t-shirt as the body. But Frank can't seem to get the robot to work. One strange night, a bolt of lightning transforms the invention into a real human child! Frank names him "Stain". Curious and energetic, Stain wreaks havoc on the monster realm, angering the monster population. Can Frank save Stain from destruction by convincing the rest of the monsters that Stain is not a threat?

Originally written by French author Reuben Saillens and later retold by Leo Tolstoy, this endearing and timeless story has now acquired the status of a folk-tale and is great to read out loud with children. The heartening story of a lonely shoemaker named Papa Panov whose generosity demonstrates the virtues of kindness and compassion. Mig Holder's much loved text is complemented by charming illustrations by Julie Downing which capture the changing mood of the story.