This is the story of Alison Hubble
Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman
Puffin Books
Imagine a world overrun with smallish identical girls. Not possible? Well, after reading this brilliantly bizarre book you may have cause to change your mind.
‘This is the story of Alison Hubble who went to bed single and woke up double.’ So begins this crazy tale of multiplication of the mayhem making kind by the terrific Ahlberg/Ingman team.
Young Alison gets the surprise of her life when she wakes up one morning beside herself – literally. Her parents too are more than a little perplexed at the prospect of a pair.
The girls are duly dispatched to school with an explanatory note for the class teacher, but of course Alison’s pals are faced with a conundrum: “Which one’s really you?” they demand to know.

Things don’t stop there however. Come games time and the doubling happens again – no question who will be in goal for the footie game …

Next day Mr H. is sent to do a headcount (maths isn’t Mrs H.’s forte) and lo and behold there’s been another doubling…

Even the press have got wind of the mathematical mayhem by now: a reporter’s awaiting the girls at the school gate. But by the end of another day at school – one that’s necessitated some requisitioning of extra furniture – Alison goes home to discover a whole TV crew wanting to do a news feature. But the young miss is having none of it and stomps off for some alone time.
I’ll leave you to imagine what happens thereafter (assuredly there’s a whole lot of interest in the phenomenon); and to wonder if this doubling will ever stop.

In addition to being a hilarious read aloud this is an absolute gift for any teacher about to teach a maths lesson on doubles.

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