Oh No! (or How My Science Project Destroyed the World)
Book - 2010
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Summary
Add a SummaryWe enter this story midway through the action. As our heroine says, “Oh no . . . oh, man . . . I knew it.” Next thing we know she’s facing the retreating back of a mechanical wonder on the rampage. Says she, “I never should have built a robot for the science fair.” Flashback to her winning the top prize at the science fair, just as her creation bursts through the gym wall to cause a little mass destruction. Feeling just a twinge guilty about the whole thing (and unable to stop her robot herself), our heroine returns home and turns a small toad into a robot fighting monstrosity. This goes well, the robot is destroyed, and the mayor of the city is very pleased with the solution . . . that is, until the toad takes off after seeing a tasty airplane fly by.

Comment
Add a CommentDan Santat is one of my favorite children's illustrators. He's outdone himself here illustrating Mac Barnett's perfectly understated text oozing with science-fiction-y goodness and girl inventor power. "Everything was going so well... until the rampage started, that is." Fans of robots, comics, and monster movies should flat out buy this one. You can thank me later.
Light on text, the book's real magic is in its images, which should be examined closely. The sheer amount of visual information on each page rewards the reader and had me searching for inside jokes. For example, I loved seeing the less successful science projects on display. Posters stating “Just Hamsters,” “Cup of Dirt,” or asking the haunting question “Why is my cat so obese?” are not winning the blue ribbon at this science fair, but then again, they also aren’t causing mass destruction either (Depends on the size of the cat).
Once in a while I’ll get a kid in my library that wants a picture book starring a fireman or a spaceship or, best of all, robots. I had one of those the other day. I knew what he really wanted. He wanted this book. He didn’t know that he wanted it yet, but if I’d shown him this cover and read him the title his little sticky fingers would have reached for it on some kind of innate instinct. Adults will gravitate towards it because it is hip. Kids will want it because . . . well . . . to be frank because it involves a giant toad fighting a giant robot. And that’s pretty much all you can say about that.
Written in simple, compelling language, this story of a female science genius is a must for young aspiring female scientists and is a refreshing break from the world of boy geniuses and science nerds. The illustrations give the book the feel of a comic book or graphic novel (and are just awesome), further complemented by the inclusion of Japanese words and lettering throughout. This is a clever story about science gone wrong that will be enjoyable to kids and adults alike.