Review by Booklist Review
After gathering a group of children, the new kid in town delivers an urgent warning: Do not build a Frankenstein! In quick strokes, the boy genius details the effort that goes into such a creation: research (lots of indoor reading), laboratory experiments (frequent electrocutions), and procuring the right parts (yep, grave robbing). And is it worth it? Well, at first your Frankenstein can be a lot of fun. Drawn by Weaver as a massive green rectangle with a nubby head and spindly legs, the monster gives the boy piggybacks and plays dress-up, but he also pushes too hard on the swings and breaks all the toys, which explains why his young creator had to move to a new town. Still, when the monster reappears, he doesn't seem so bad after all. This is a light, fun, and awfully cute intro to the famous horror icon. Mary Shelley purists may chafe at the misuse of Frankenstein (he was the doctor, not the monster), but they'll relish the two-page black-and-white spread that looks plucked from a scene in a Karloff film.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
There's a new kid in town, and he's a walking cautionary tale. As his peers listen raptly, he launches into a series of flashbacks, all designed to reinforce the lesson of the title. Sure, he says, a monster of one's own is fun at first (it turns out monsters are not averse to wearing drag when playing dress-up), but pretty soon the monster's enormous strength and relentless energy make it clear that emulating Victor Frankenstein is never a good idea ("He'll chase away your friends... and your pets... and he'll break all your toys"). Numberman is a nimble, funny writer, and he opts for showing rather than telling, his naOf watercolors scoring a punch line every time (the monster's vague resemblance to a giant green Homer Simpson on steroids makes the joke all the funnier). After a terrific debut as an illustrator this spring with the graphic novel-style Joey Fly, Private Eye, Numberman demonstrates his versatility and proves that he can deliver as both author and artist. Ages 4-8. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-This pointless book starts with a boy yelling hysterically to get the attention of a crowd of kids. "Do Not Build a Frankenstein!" he admonishes to anyone who will listen. He is speaking from his own experience. Sure, it was fun having a giant monster to play with at first, but he soon tired of him breaking toys, scaring friends away, and following him everywhere. The only solution was to move to a new town, but not really, because Frankenstein finds him anyway. And the kids ignore the boy and run off to play with the monster. End of story. The cartoon children are drawn with skinny bodies, big round heads, and exaggerated expressions. Frankenstein has a giant green torso atop spindly legs with a pin-sized head. Stick with Ed Emberley's Go Away, Big Green Monster! (Little, Brown, 2005) and skip this Frankenstein.-Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Standing on a soapbox, the new kid in the neighborhood warns, "Do NOT build a Frankenstein!" The monster stares at him while he's reading, scares him at night and pushes him so hard on the swing he goes over the crossbar. "All you can do is move away." Numberman, in his picture-book debut, depicts round-headed, rubber-limbed kids and a towering green monster on impossibly skinny legs. When, entirely predictably, the monster hears his name during the diatribe"Did someone call?"the children, orator included, join him in a game of monster tag. If the end doesn't live up to its setup, there's no denying the appeal of a giant green playmate with rivets in his neck. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
