Richard Horne is a designer of record covers (Faith No More and Tom Jones), book jackets (Paul Morley, Sean French and the Harry Potter series) and websites (www.dancingeyes.net, www.ashwednesday.co.uk and www.oryxandcrake.co.uk), as well as a greetings card and magazine illustrator (the Guardian and Sugar magazine). A self-confessed chancer and left-hander, he lives in East London.

Originally from somewhere else, Helen Szirtes found herself abandoned at the age of 29 on a deserted beach, where she was brought up by giant, friendly, killer crabs. With just her instinct, her phone, a multi-coloured biro and three berries, she managed to survive the lonely 24 minutes before she was discovered exhausted, dishevelled and ready to tell her amazing story through verse, doodling and electronic beeps. She also helped to write this book.

So much to do, so little time, so best to start early. Full of things to make, achieve, learn (and some things you shouldn't learn) this is the perfect handbook for any child who wants to revel in being young and not-boring.

Can you...

Make an origami crane?

Lie convincingly?

Operate as a spy?

Parents may need these skills (not origami) to wrest their child's copy from them and indulge in all the fun they should have had...

Making things, learning things or just getting up to inspired mischief, it's all here. Children aged 10+ will be quiet and occupied at weekends, on holiday and in the evenings. What are you waiting for?