Archibald Frisby - Hardcover

Slyly seasoning his playful watercolors with such technical tidbits as a blueprint for a kite and a diagram explaining photosynthesis, Chesworth ( Rainy Day Dreams ) teasingly teaches the reader that science is not just a subject for the classroom, but a part of everyday life. His freckle-faced title character, much to his mother's dismay, is obsessed with all things scientific. In an attempt to prevent him from dissecting all her flowers and taking apart any more household appliances, Frisby mere deposits her son at Camp Woopeekooshun. "Forget science awhile," she pleads, "have a good time instead." The illustrations tell the story: as the other kids swap tales around the campfire, Archibald Frisby, gazing skyward, ponders a wildly exaggerated procession of planets; during a baseball game, our hero visualizes the ballfield as a geometric plane and plots "the angle of maximum distance." Somewhat unfortunately, Chesworth relays Archibald's escapades in rhyme, often twisting the narrative into coy, ungainly sequences ("So she turned off the Mac, / and she booted him out, / to a camp where he'd find / what fun was about"). But even if the formula isn't foolproof, this venturesome volume registers its points cleverly and with brio. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 5-9. "Archibald was so smart / and he read such a lot / that he saw things in ways / other people did not." A droll rhyming text and witty, cartoon-style watercolor illustrations tell a gentle story about a red-haired, freckle-faced boy who loves science. Archibald looks at the cat and sees its anatomy. Water to Archibald is a chemical formula. He's taken apart every kitchen appliance ("they gave their lives in the interest of science"). When he's caught reading algebra at recess, his mother has had enough and packs him off to camp to learn about fun. He does have fun and make friends, and he does it not by denying his fascination with science, but by spreading it around. On the camp scavenger hunt, his group comes back with some very old bones and not with pine cones. In time-honored fashion he even hits the winning run in baseball (by plotting the angle of maximum distance). By the time he goes home with bat, ball, and glitzy sunglasses, he's changed, and he's changed the camp forever. The play with puns (Archibald reads Spores Illustrated) and with deadpan exaggeration is funny and affectionate. It humanizes the nerd stereotype and makes the smart kid a friend, both special and ordinary. Hazel Rochman