Jack stacks up blocks high. Two make a robot, five make a boat, and fifteen make...whatever you can imagine! Math becomes child's play as young readers are introduced to the skill of counting on, a first step toward mastering addition.

The Misadventures of Jack the Builder traces several episodes in the hapless life of an ordinary, working class struggler. Set in a contemporary Australian city, the story follows Jack as he swears, squirms, weasels, begs, hustles and charms his way through the accidental exigencies of his feckless life. Characters spring to life in vivid technicolor -- Trev, Fergus, Wazza, Tom and others -- a panoply of real life 'sorts' dealing in their own inimitable way with life's challenges. An amusing story that endears and entertains, painting a picture of suburban life in shades of alternating pathos and repulsion -- like following a fumbling, flatulent funambulist on a foggy day.

Look what I can build! 2 blocks = 5 blocks = If you add three more, or five more, what can you make? Anything you can imagine! As the blocks pile high, readers take a journey into a little boy's imagination and at the same time learn the math skill of counting on, a first step toward mastering addition.

A dream job becomes a tale of money, love and murder for Jack, a builder, who gets a job repairing the summerhouse of a millionaire couple. The two months’ work will pay his debts, and give him space to sort out his personal demons. Except the couple are at war, both having affairs, their marriage beyond salvage. The husband fires Jack, but she takes him back on, complicated further when he falls for her secretary. And when there’s a murder, using his tools as the weapon, Jack is prime suspect.