Cal and the Amazing Anti-Gravity Machine »

Richard Hamilton is the author of many children's books, including Polly's Picnic and Violet and the Mean and Rotten Pirates. He lives in England.

Sam Hearn graduated from art school in London and works as an illustrator with a part-time job in a children's bookstore. He also illustrated Violet and the Mean and Rotten Pirates.

In this wacky, adventurous chapter book, Cal and his grouchy talking dog, Frankie, discover the joys (and pitfalls) of anti-gravity when they join forces with Cal's inventive neighbor, Mr. Frout. This hair-raising adventure is a laugh-out-loud romp that lifts one boy's curiosity about science to a new level!

School Library Journal

Gr 3-4-In this "Sorcerer's Apprentice" sort of story for early chapter-book readers, 10-year-old Cal Barraclough learns his lesson after playing with the levers of a machine built by his eccentric neighbor. Mr. Frout is always clamoring about in his backyard, engaging in secret science experiments and driving his neighbors crazy. Drawn by the man's unconventional manner, Cal and his talking dog, Frankie, like to sit on the roof and observe him. When Mr. Frout's antigravity experiment goes awry, he reluctantly enlists the boy's help, and Cal wins his approval and friendship. Then he makes the mistake of playing with the machine in the inventor's absence and causes his whole neighborhood to be turned upside down-literally. Mr. Frout and Cal get things back under control, and the result is a calmer man who, in the end, takes up gardening and makes peace with his neighbors. Quirky pen-and-ink drawings complement the text, and short chapters make this story appealing to reluctant readers. A fun and inventive romp for those who like Jon Scieszka's "Time Warp Trio" series (Viking) or Jim Benton's "Franny K. Stein" books (S & S).-Jennifer Cogan, Bucks County Free Library, Doylestown, PA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.