The Blythes are a big warm rambunctious family who live on a small farm & sometimes foster children Now Prez has come to live with them But though he seems cheerful & helpful he never says a word Then one day Prez answers the door to someone claiming to be his relative This small loud stranger carries a backpack walks with a swagger & goes by the name of Sputnik As Prez dithers on the doorstep Sputnik strolls right past him & introduces himself to everyone in the household Prez is amazed at the response The family pat Sputnik on the head call him a good boy & drop food into his mouth It seems they all think Sputnik is a dog It's only Prez who thinks otherwise But Prez soon finds himself having to defend the family from the chaos & danger unleashed by Sputnik as household items come to life
- like a TV remote that fast-forwards people ' Anyone can do it it's just that people don't read the instructions properly'; & a toy lightsaber that entertains guests at a children's party until one of them is nearly decapitated by it
- & Prez is going to have to use his voice to explain himself It turns out that Sputnik is writing a guidebook to Earth called Ten Things Worth Doing on Earth & he takes Prez on a journey to discover just those ten things Each adventure seems to take Prez nearer to the heart of the family he is being fostered by But they also take him closer to the day that he is due to leave them forever