When the little girl wakes up on 'the wrong side of the bed' one morning, the three grumpies are awaiting her - Grumpy, Grumpier and Grumpiest. These are decidedly laid-back monsters of red, white and purple hue, who proceed to make her day a misery. She tries hard to get rid of them as mum suggests, but they make everything go wrong. Dad says to show them how she feels, and the teacher suggest ignoring them, but nothing works - until...at home again, the little girl smiles 'a little weary smile' and the grumpies begin to look nervous. It is humour and laughter that save the day. The grumpies can't stand being laughed at and so they disappear. What a marvelous wheeze! The pictures are huge fun too, and it's so satisfying to be able to blame bad moods on something outside oneself, while at the same time learning how to banish them.