Jon Scieszka brings to human anatomy, in this new book, in the new Frank Einstein series what J. Cole brought to science through the Magic School Bus series. The Frank Einstein series is written for a slightly older audience, in that it is not written in picture book format, although there are black and white (and orange) sketches sprinkled through out its 173 pages.
As this book begins, 11 year old Frank Einstein wants to create a better human body to make his good friend, Janegoodall, a better baseball pitcher before this season’s team try-outs. Frank, his friends Watson and Janegoodall, and robots Klink and Klank are practicing on Menlo Park’s baseball field when one of Klank’s hits flies over the ballpark fence breaking the window on villain T. Edison’s laboratory destroying his latest invention the SuperBrain. Hearing the glass break the young baseball players run to Frank’s home before they are caught by T. Edison. At home in his laboratory, Frank begins analyzing the human body’s five senses by systems in an effort to improve on Janegoodall’s pitching. While Frank does this, Klink spouts off the functions of that particular body system. Klank tells bad jokes. Watson and Janegoodall inform Frank why Frank’s first possible idea/ invention for each sense isn’t a desirable solution. Thank goodness Frank’s philosophy is- if at first you don’t succeed- keep trying new ideas and inventions. Along the way, they investigate blind spots (sight), having a bigger outer ear (hearing), the number of nerve cells (touch), brain freeze (taste), and taste without smell ( smell).
Meanwhile, T. Edison, who found out who broke his window and the SuperBrain, is working on his latest invention the Brain Swirler which looks a lot like a toilet sitting on his head. When the T. Edison Brain Swirler does not pass all of its tests, T. Edison decides to take Frank’s “Brain Turbo.” Frank has Klank guarding the Super Brain so they can rest up for the team try-outs. Klank tries out the Super Brain, scaring people in the neighborhood. Mr. Chimp leads Klank away and right into T. Edison’s hands. Now, T. Edison uses the Brain Turbo, he has transformed, to control all the minds of the humans on the baseball try-out field. Edison has Watson doing the chicken dance. Edison wants to control the minds of the town, no the world. As a result, the power is turned up on the Brain Turbo which causes Klank’s head to blow up ending Edison’s dream to control the world.
Frank, Watson , and Janegoodall are all sad Klank is gone, but they soon find out Klank is not gone for long.
Includes: Frank Einstein’s Human-Body Notes, Pitching with Janegoodall, Watson’s Inventor Corner, Bob and Mary Einstein’s Travelallovertheplace.com Travel Hot Spot!, Klank’s Turing Test, Mr. Chimp’s Word Search, and Mr. Chimp’s Alphabet.