diff --git a/playbooks/playlet-test.yml b/playbooks/playlet-test.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..78a872a8bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/playlet-test.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# requires --extra-vars="target='host1;host2;group etc'
+
+- name: run a playley
+  hosts: $target
+  user: root
+  gather_facts: false
+  vars_files:
+   - /srv/web/infra/ansible/vars/global.yml
+   - $private/vars.yml
+
+  tasks:
+  - name: populate my target group
+    action: add_host groupname=parent_group hostname=$item
+    with_items: $hosts
+
+- include: $basedir/playlets/test/book.yml
+
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/playlets/README b/playlets/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..47808aa55b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playlets/README
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+playlets are self-contained playbooks which are never intended to be
+directly executed. They are only to be used as an 'include' from our other
+playbooks.
+
+All of these playbooks must have:
+
+
+hosts: $parent_group
+
+the general structure is:
+
+playlet_name/
+             vars/vars.yml
+             files/myfile.conf
+                   myfile2.conf.j2
+             handlers/handlers.yml
+             book.yml
+
+             
+             
+                                    
+template for book.yml
+---
+- name: give the play let a name
+  hosts: $parent_group
+  tags:
+  - playlet_tag_name
+  vars_files:
+  - vars/somefile.yml
+
+  tasks:
+  - name: my task
+    action: stuff which I do
+
+
+            
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/playlets/test/book.yml b/playlets/test/book.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2e7ba81d96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playlets/test/book.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+---
+- name: test playlet
+  hosts: parent_group
+  tags:
+  - playlet_tag_name
+  vars_files:
+  - vars/vars.yml
+
+  tasks:    
+  - name: my task 1
+    action: copy src=files/${myfile} dest=/tmp/${myfile}.txt 
+
diff --git a/playlets/test/files/foo b/playlets/test/files/foo
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4f41d26438
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playlets/test/files/foo
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+this is foo
+it should end up in /tmp
diff --git a/playlets/test/vars/vars.yml b/playlets/test/vars/vars.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fb4b5f0414
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playlets/test/vars/vars.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+---
+myfile: foo