Mike Hinklebink's parents are out of control. They don't do their jobs and the house and garden are a mess. Their late-night karaoke is keeping Mike awake and it's affecting his schoolwork. Now they're skipping work to have fun. Instead of his parents taking care of him, he's taking care of them. That's no way for a kid to live. It's time they behaved like responsible adults. "You need Talibut Vish, parent tamer," says Mike's best friend Nick. At first it seems like the perfect solution. The green bean narrow, gum tree tall stranger who can answer questions before they are asked is confident he can do the job and Mike can afford his fee of smiles, chuckles and chortles. Mr and Mrs Hinklebink treat Vish's arrival as a joke but his extraordinary powers soon have them behaving and Mike starts to believe he can have a normal life - until he wakes to find his parents have run away from home.