While on a family picnic Mr Mellops notices the mountain water has an ‘awful taste, like oil’. Soon, the intrepid Mellops embark on a quest that takes them to the library, the museum and eventually an oil field! Reissued in English to inspire and delight a new generation of children. Ages 3-6 About the author Tomi Ungerer (1931-2019) is a legend in the world of children’s books. Born in Strasbourg in 1931, Tomi landed in New York in 1956 with $60 in his pocket and with a suitcase full of drawings. Overnight he became a star as a caricaturist, illustrator, and children’s book author. He published more than 140 books for children and for adults in his prolific life. Tomi is a winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest achievable international award for children’s literature, and was named Ambassador for Childhood and Education.