Science Snafu: Oh, No! (Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World) by Mac Barrett

OH, NO!

OH, MAN.

I KNEW IT.

I never should have built a robot for the science fair.

Everything was going so well...

Until the rampage started, that is.

In the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil rig disaster, Mac Barnett's hot-off-the-press picture book Oh No!: Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World (Hyperion, 2010) seems positively prophetic, absolutely allegorical, a parable of the human propensity to think big without necessarily thinking through our creations.

Our young heroine, doubtless the star science student in Mrs. Turnham's fifth grade class, certainly is thinking big when she rolls out her giant robot--blueprints and all. Surrounded by the usual baking-soda-and-vinegar volcanoes and paper mache solar system models, it's impressive, all right. Unfortunately, in the way of scientific devices, this one follows the law of unforeseen consequences, leaving its designer wishing she'd thought about the unthinkable a little more here.

Giant stainless steel claws? Maybe unnecessary add-ons here. And when the unfortunate creator tries voice commands--"Hey, Robot, knock it off already!"--she discovers that what she forgot to add was ears! Hastily, she scribbles a sign to halt the carnage, only to discover that she "forgot" to teach the robot to read. Brute force doesn't work, either; she neglected to program into her robot the power to feel pain! Quickly improvising, she grabs a nearby toad from another kid's exhibit, and radiates it into a giant mutant monster and orders it to destroy the rampant robot. Her ploy works, but then... (deja vu all over again) TOAD doesn't stop the destruction there. Oh, no! She forgot to irradiate the annihilative amphibian's DNA to self-destruct as soon as the runaway robot is disarmed.

OOOOPS!

The saga of the science experiment gone amuck has been around since Mary Shelley penned Frankenstein in 1818, and that fictional parable is still as powerful as ever. Author Mac Barnett probably didn't know just how timely his publication date of June 1, 2010, was to be when he wrote this little tale, but his story of a science exhibit gizmo that destroys everything in its path now seems predictive of what can happen when scientists fail to build in plenty of fail-safe redundancies. Dan Santat's illustrations are a perfect foil, in a tour de force design that extends the simple text with touches of whimsy and humor which will keep kids pouring over each page. His deadpan-serious little scientist has all the right technical moves, but realizes with horror that she's neglected to foresee the big picture, and when Santat's perspective zooms out as the scope of mayhem enlarges, we see just what her half-baked science hath wrought. As Kirkus Reviews puts it succinctly, illustrator Dan Santat's design is a seamless blend in which "comic-book, picture-book and movie styles come together in a well-designed package."

And that's more than we can say for that science project!

Back to School: Frankie Stein Starts School by Lola M. Schaefer

Frankie Stein stood on the steps of Miss Wart's Academy for Ghosts and Ghouls. He had been waiting for this night for a long time.

During story hour, Mrs. Wart read a book about ghosts. Frankie scooted closer so he could see and hear the scary parts.

EWWWWW!" howled Wilma. "I'm not sitting next to HIM. He's WEIRD!"

It's finally the first day of school for young Frankie N. Stein, but although he finds delightful all things frightful, his boy-next-door good looks are a real turn-off for his classmates, especially Wilma Witch, Skelly Skeleton, and Vinnie Vampire. With a blond Beach Boy hair do and his favorite preppy threads, he just doesn't fit in at the Academy.

"We don't like you," said Vinnie.

"Yeah," said Skelly. "You don't look like US!"

"So what?" said Frankie. "I can still be scary, even scarier than you. Watch and see!"

Frankie is used to battling the stigma of his conventional good looks, even in his own monster family, so the initial rejection at Mrs. Wart's Academy comes as no surprise. Frankie just digs in and does the work, diligently delving into his textbook--How to Be Gross--and coloring his face purple and his nails black in art class.

"Bone-chilling" pronounces Skelly in approval.

Soon Frankie is at the head of the class in dino-fang counting, howling, and concocting gurgling potions, and his school mates have to concede that he's the bloodcurdling, ghoulish star of the class.

Back home, his mom asks about his first day.

"What did you like best?" asked Mrs. Frank N. Stein.

"Friends!" said Frankie. "I made a lot of frightening friends."

"That's our Frankie!" said Mr. and Mrs. Frank N. Stein.

Following up on her 2007 Frankie Stein, Lola Schaefer's Frankie Stein Starts School (Marshall Cavendish, 2010) brings back her atypical little monster in a back-to-school story of a nerdy non-monsterish kid who proves he's got the right scary stuff to hold his own and even make friends at monster school. Just in time for the first days back in class, this quirky tale of finding a way to fit in when you're different from the norm will resonate with reluctant scholars, especially those who are already looking forward to the scary season upcoming soon.

Putting the Spin On: Yo-Yo Man by Daniel Pinkwater

It's every kid's worst nightmare. It's the first day of school, the No. 1 third grade bully is seated right behind you and singles you out for arm-twisting domination

"Who's your master? Richard Newton asks.

"OWWW!" I say.

"WHO?" he asks.

"You are! You are!" I wail."

Then the bell rings, and their teacher, Miss Mousetrap, hits them with spelling words and math test without further ado. Third grade is looking like an ordeal!

Finally recess arrives, and there's a surprise in the schoolyard. It's Ramon, World Yo-Yo Champion, shilling for Bob's Toyland with a mind-spinning demonstration of yo-yo legerdemain. Along with the demo all the kids get a free book of instructions on how to do all the tricks. Ramon promises to return for a Super Yo-Yo Tourney, with the prize of a fake diamond-studdend golden yo-yo for any kid who can perform all the tricks. Our kid now has a PLAN!

"I am going to become a yo-yo genius. I am going to become a yo-yo go-go, with yo-yo know-how. I am going to learn all the tricks in the book. I am going to get the golden prize when Ramon comes back."

And it happens! Bully Richard Newton turns out to be a yo-yo no-go, and our hero's self confidence rises with each new trick he learns. He even turns out to be the best speller in the third grade, so Miss Mousetrap doesn't scare him anymore either.

Of course, he wins the tourney with his perfect performance of the double flip-flop bouncing sleeper.

There are tears in Ramon's eyes as he gives me my golden yo-yo with diamonds.

Everyone admires me. I am a true yo-yo man.

And I can spell.

Daniel Pinkwater's Yo-yo Man is a simple story of the triumph of the nervous nerd over the brawny bully which proves again that mastery of cool skills provides the confidence to make kids bully-proof. Jack E. Davis' wonderfully goofy cartoon illustrations take Pinkwater's story over the top as a super kid pleaser, sure to be a comfort to the early elementary reader who knows those first-day of school jitters all too well.

Everybody's a Flower Girl!: Lilly's Big Day

That extremely self-confident mouse-girl with the star-studded boots is back in another adventure, just in time for those June weddings.

When Lilly, of Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse learns that her teacher Mr. Slinger is getting married to Ms. Shotwell, the school nurse, Lilly presumes that she will naturally be chosen as flower girl. Although her family tries to point out how unlikely that might be, Lilly spends her entire recess walking back and forth, carrying a bunch of weeds with conspicuous grace right under Mr. Slinger's nose. Unfortunately, Mr. Slinger has a little niece named Ginger who has already nailed the job as the only flower girl.

"This seems really important to you," said Mr. Slinger. "You know, I was just thinking you might like to be Ginger's assistant. You could make sure her dress isn't crooked and that she holds her flowers properly."
Lilly considered this.
"You could remind her to walk slowly," said Mr. Slinger.
Lilly considered some more.
"You could wear a corsage," said Mr. Slinger.
"Oh, all right," said Lilly, "if you really need me so much."

Lilly gets a new star-studded dress and perfects her down-the-aisle style until the big day finally arrives. Despite her hopes that Ginger will not show up, she's there with her dress on straight and her flowers held properly.

But when the music swells for Ginger's big entrance, she's petrified with stage fright. Only the quick-thinking Lilly saves the ceremony by picking Ginger up and delivering her bodily to her proper position at the altar.

It is the biggest day of Lilly's life after all, and she is so happy that she generously tells Ginger, "When I get married, you can be my flower girl."

This and other of Kevin Henkes' Lilly and friends stories can be heard on the CD Lilly's Big Day and Other Stories CD: 9 Stories.