by Moe Zilla

Created on: July 04, 2009

It's a celebration of inventions, both real and imaginary, but it's told with a dry British sense of humor. Professor Puffendorf has invented Bananamatic and the Smell-o-Telephone, explains the book's first page. If there's one thing that characterizes British humor, it's eccentric characters - those oddballs and know-it-alls who's personal obsessions make them different than the rest. But what happens when the professor leaves her lab behind, and leaves her assistant Slag in charge of the experiments?

"Professor Puffendorf's laboratory was a wonderful place," the book explains, "full of odd-shaped bottles and tubes and strange-looking machines that hissed and steamed and pluttered and squeaked." There's a pet guinea pig, and the "lazy grumbling" assistant who sweeps her floor. When the professor leaves on vacation, she leaves Slag with specific instructions about her laboratory. "Please wash all the thistle tubes and dust the Magdeburg hemispheres. And this time, try to remember to turn off the titanium blender..."

It was written by Robin Tzannes and Korky Paul, and much of the humor of this book comes from its funny illustrations. The inside front cover is even covered with graph paper showing zany sketches of still more inventions. When we first see the Professor, she's holding toast on a trident over a blow torch. Her assistant directs the flames - wearing a welder's mask - but the invention she's demonstrating is unburnable toast. And the audience is full of scientists in white lab coats - all smiling in amazement as they help themselves to samples.

But the real mischief happens after the professor has left for a conference, when Slag spots a cabinet marked "TOP SECRET!" He steals the professor's formula for making red curly hair. He finds another formula which can give you a beautiful voice. He tests both formulas on the guinea pig, and is pleased with the results. The guinea pig sprouts red curly hair - and begins to sing beautifully. Unfortunately, Slag never should have tested out the professor's final potion. It grants a wish to the guinea pig - whose wish is to trade places with the unfortunate lab assistant! The professor returns to find Slag as small as a guinea pig, running around the wheel in his cage.

It's a funny story that, in its own way, teaches a lesson about responsibility. And the guinea-pig - now the size of a human - always remembers to shut off the titanium blender.

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