When Tom and his parents move to their new house they hear strange noises coming from the shed next door. Tom helps his parents tidy the junk-filled garden in the hope that his dad will build him a pirate ship play-house. But Mum and Dad tire easily. Then Tom finds out that the neighbour is an inventor. He's invented a robot called Helpful Helen. She can do jobs about the house and garden. Tom's dad is very excited by the robot and gives her a long list of instructions. But oh no! He hasn't spoken slowly. And Helen is programmed to be very helpful. It looks like things are about to get a bit higgledy-piggledy. This is a very funny story about a robot gone haywire!