Afroditi-Piteni Bijker

Memo is a nine-year-old boy who lives in Turkey with his mother and little sister, while his father works in a Netherlands seaport. When war looms near his family home, Memo's father moves the family to be with him in the Netherlands. Memo is unhappy at having to leave his village, his best friend, Mustafa, and his job as a mail boy. Once installed in his father's basement flat, Memo begins his own protest at being removed from his home by refusing to speak.

Katootje lives in Droogbaak, a very neat municipality. And the neatest people in the whole town are Katootje's father and the neighbor. Katootje, who is almost eight, would like a pet, but she is not allowed to have one, especially not when the queen is visiting Droogbaak and the mayor is organizing a cleanliness competition. So it is not very convenient that her anti-authoritarian aunt Gazeuse and her fiancé, the feisty inventor O.J., unexpectedly come to stay at the Loire. Fortunately for Katootje, things become more fun and exciting at home, and O.J. helps her father in the fight against the cheating neighbor. Still, it takes a while for her father to learn his lesson: there are more important things in life than peace, cleanliness, and regularity.

Pupil Abel is the victim of Laura's nasty prank, yet gets accidentally blamed and overreacts. His ma withdraws him from school and gets him a job as lift-boy. But its' a special lift: when he pushes the forbidden green button, it takes him, Laura, Jozias Tump and Maria Klaterhoen to Manhattan. There he's mistaken by a rich woman who looks like his mother for her long missing son Johnny. When a police helicopter comes to tow the lift cabin, the Dutchmen get back in. It takes them to a Latin American country, Perugona. The new revolutionary leader realizes presidents live about one year, so he gives the job to Mr. Tump, who saved his life. The news coverage attracts Abel's and Johnny's family, in time for an even weirder finale.