As we all know, Ladybird Books are not what they used to be. The secure middle-class world of Peter and Jane and their mother and father, living stereotypical roles in 1950s England, is no more. In a clever marketing wheeze the brand has been modernised, using the old-style illustrations but now reflecting the modern world. New titles include The Child Minder; The Stepmother; the Baby-Sitter and so on. As a news item in the Telegraph puts it, “Traditionally aimed at educating children on a wide variety of subjects, Ladybird books have recently found success with a light-hearted range aimed at adult readers.”