The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm

January 1, 2012

Gr 3-5-Each of the 14 stories in this collection by Norman Hunter (Puffin, 1962) focuses on one of the absentminded professor's elaborate foibles, which generally results from either an invention gone horribly awry or a case of mistaken identity. For example, when the growth serum he invents is accidentally spilled on some waste paper, the paper wildly expands and chases the professor and his housekeeper around the yard and up a tree. At the end of each tale, there's always a happy ending, and the other slightly clueless yet well-meaning characters (Mrs. Flittersnoop, the housekeeper, Colonel Dedshott, the professor's best friend) never hold a grudge against their cheerfully oblivious friend. Martin Jarvis's British-accented narration is top-notch, with excellent pacing and a perfect sense of comedic timing, adding another dimension of hilarity to the stories. His voice for the professor is brilliant, and he gives the other characters equally convincing voices. With perfect pacing and a wonderful sense of comedic timing, this is a must-have for elementary school collections.-Amy Holland, Irondequoit Public Library, Rochester, NY

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