Annie Morton is eight years old. A bit shorter and chubbier than the average girl her age, there are two things in life that really bug her: getting out of bed, and getting a wash. She can't stand it The very thought of it makes her want to pull the blankets over her head every morning and stay in bed forever. That is, until she meets The Spooky Sponge: a snotty-coloured, raggy bit of sponge that has goggly eyes and a wrinkly mouth. But this is no ordinary sponge. This one lives. Both magical and spooky, it has powers that only Annie can control. In this book, The Spooky Sponge meets Annie's Mum.

Payback time can be fun when you have a Spooky Sponge.