Review by Horn Book Review
The Invention Hunters: Discover How Machines Work by Korwin Briggs; illus. by the authorPrimary Little, Brown 48 pp.Kids teach a group of cheeky, clueless scientists all about electricity and simple machines, respectively, in these action- and information-packed picture books. Each story begins with a child at home, and the subsequent arrival (via flying museum) of a group of self-proclaimed Invention Hunters who barge in to gather objects for their Museum of Inventionology. The adults hypothesize silly and ludicrous interpretations for each item and its use (regarding a battery: A tiny skyscraper! For ants!); this prompts the children to share nonfiction vocabulary, diagrams, historical information, and additional facts. The scientists cause increased havoc in the young peoples homes until they depart in a whirl, leaving behind a surprise for each child to explore. There is steady repetition at play in the exclamation markheavy text, as the narratives shift back and forth, somewhat frenetically, between informational spreads and the scientists wacky antics. In both books, an authors note assures readers that almost nothing the scientists do is wise, correct, or even possible! The comics format keeps the tales moving quickly, dividing action into panels and including speech balloons and sound effects. The illustrations embed visual humor into the stories, for instance when pulleys are shown as a tool for giving wedgies. A boisterous, enthusiastic, and instructive new series. elisa gallSeptember/October 2019 p.107(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
