Annie has to put up with wearing older sister Kate's hand-me-downs and playing with older brother Tom's toys. And she and Kate have to share a room, which neither likes. The house is too small for the Canterbury family, so Annie can't have a dog, and, furthermore, she believes the older two 'get away with everything'. It is Great Aunt Izzy, an eccentric ex-actress who comes up with the answer. They must move into her big old house, with a shoe tree in the garden (sprouting real shoes). Kate is at first horrified, as is Tom but Annie is blissful. She will have her own room - and her dog. Kate is mollified by having a bed-sit where her friends can visit, and Tom has a place for a computer, so all is well. These hilarious short stories about the Canterbury family are often OTT, but there's lots of truth in the family relationships, and the numerous black and white illustrations add to the fun.