One day, Adam’s teacher gives him an assignment to draw his family tree. The boy starts writing down his relatives and finds that they certainly won’t all fit on the tree – he’ll have to make a hundred-legged octopus with one relative for each leg! He can’t fail to include his Aunt Mari, who treasures curiosities, his Uncle Kaupo, who just won’t give up smoking, his foulmouthed Uncle Marko, his little brother Aapi, who gets into all his things, or his football-fanatic older brother Anton; not to mention his Aunt Ilme, who is almost unnoticeable. As Adam’s dad says: “You don’t choose your relatives.”
Piret Raud (1971) is the most successful contemporary Estonian children’s writer and illustrator. Her writing has received spectacular recognition both at home and abroad: the author was included on the 2012 IBBY Honour List, in the 2013 White Ravens catalogue, and was awarded the Estonian Order of the White Star, IV Class in 2016.