Review by Booklist Review
Providing invaluable guidance for any young experimenter aiming to become a Wizard of Ooze, science educator Brown offers instructions for about two dozen kitchen chemistry concoctions, from bogus barf and various sorts of glop to homemade pickles and Jell-O that glows eerily in black light. Along with a continual emphasis on careful preparation and safety, he clearly explains the physical and chemical processes that each project illustrates, introduces such phenomena as polymers and non-Newtonian fluids, and adds historical sidebars with headers like Oops! Accidents in Chemistry. Capped by a set of terrific general challenges, such as making something that looks disgusting but smells nice, and festooned with entertainingly silly cartoon illustrations and interpolations from supposed ex-cowriter Dr. Viskus von Fickleschmutz ( If at first you don't succeed, don't skydive ), this is hard science with a smile or, more accurately, maniacal laughter.--Peters, John Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-Following a thorough discussion of safety, this book introduces budding scientists to a host of gross and gooey projects. A final chapter encourages them to create their own concoctions. Brown writes in an engaging, conversational style that is full of silly humor. A running gag is that Dr. Viskus Fickleschmutz was originally hired as a coauthor and, while his services were no longer needed, he somehow managed to add his thoughts (and artistic touches) to the book. In general, the experiments are familiar, such as making glop with cornstarch and water and making raisins swim using soda. Each activity has a "Stuff You Need" box; detailed, numbered steps; and a concluding "Hmmm. What's Going On?" section that explains the science behind the project. A specific icon indicates an activity that requires "an adult minion," and boxed areas are used to highlight cool facts and key individuals. Cartoon illustrations demonstrate concepts and add humor. A fun addition.-Maren Ostergard, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA (c) Copyright 2012. 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 Horn Book Review
Science activities and cartoonlike illustrations exploring chemical properties and reactions are given a gee-whiz overlay, encouraging kids to unleash their inner "mad scientist" stereotype as they look at "slime," "puke," gassy explosions, and gross foods. A fictional Dr. von Finckelschmutz doodles and scribbles even more bad jokes onto the pages, adding to the potty humor and even further detracting from the science. Glos., ind. (c) Copyright 2012. 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.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
(Nonfiction. 7-14)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.