Now, a whole new batch of manuals are out in time for Christmas, authored once again by comedy writers Jason Hazeley and Joel Morris and accompanied with colourful illustrations from the original mid-20th-century favourites.

The new titles include The Ladybird Book of the Sickie, The Ladybird Book of Red Tape and The Ladybird Book of the Meeting but, as Rihanna might say, it's not all work work work work work work. They also cover zombies, students, the uncomfortable but indisputable truth about how dogs really smell, and snowflake issues thrown up by middle-class living, including noise-polluting hairdryers and pets that eat only organic.

Red tape

Ladybird's new books for grown-ups are all our work woes