April 1, 2006
Gr 2-5 -In this lively fifth installment in the series, Franny finds herself in a panic when her faithful canine assistant swallows her latest invention. She then must delve the depths -of Igor's stomach -to retrieve her Doomsday Device. While totally unbelievable, the child's imaginative voyage takes her swimming through a sea of snot and boogers and combines the gross-out factor with black-and-white cartoons. The story will appeal to both boys and girls, and the writing style (and even the typeface) is age appropriate. Plus, the very short chapters with art on every page will hold the attention of even the most reluctant readers." -Diane Eddington, Los Angeles Public Library"
Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2006
Gr. 2-4. Having recuperated from her escapades in " The Fran That" " Time Forgot" (2005), girl scientist Franny is back in her lab, this time to forge a tiny doomsday device. Unfortunately, Igor, her canine lab assistant, swallows it, which necessitates Franny's down-sizing herself with her Shrinkerizer and slipping into Igor's nose and down his gullet to retrieve it. That makes for some deliciously gross comedy, which Benton maximizes with his usual freewheeling black-and-white sketches. Series fans will love it all.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2006
Franny tries to distract her accident-prone dog/lab assistant Igor from interfering with her creation of a Doomsday Device. When Igor unwittingly swallows it, Franny must shrink to microscopic size, get Igor to sniff her up his nose, and retrieve the detonated bomb. This far-fetched, fast-paced "Fantastic Voyage" homage is unpredictable. The cartoon illustrations crowd the text but add to its upbeat humor.
(Copyright 2006 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)