Cheaper by the Dozen

What happens when two world-famous efficiency experts raise twelve kids under one roof? In this hilarious, heartwarming true story, siblings Frank Jr. and Ernestine recount growing up in a 1920s household run like a factory—complete with stopwatch-timed baths, assembly-line chores, and unforgettable family chaos.

Whenever the crowds gathered at some intersection where we were stopped by traffic, the inevitable question came sooner or later.
“How do you feed all those kids, Mister?”
Dad would ponder for a minute. Then, rearing back so those on the outskirts could hear, he’d say as if he had just thought it up: “Well, they come cheaper by the dozen, you know.”

That deadpan wit is just the beginning. From cramming all fourteen Gilbreths into a single Pierce-Arrow touring car to outsmarting strict schoolteachers and navigating the bumpy road to adulthood, every chapter bursts with charm, mischief, and genuine family warmth. Step inside the Gilbreth home and discover why generations of readers have fallen in love with this wildly unconventional, fiercely devoted family.