The Frazzle Family Finds a Way

PreS-Gr 1—The members of the Frazzle family certainly live up to their name: they are an utter mess. In winter they forget their coats, in summer they forget their sunscreen, on trips to the grocery store they forget everything except eggs and leave poor Grandpa in the frozen-foods aisle. The happy-go-lucky parents go to work with uncombed hair while the daydreaming kids take fishing rods and flippers to school instead of backpacks. When Aunt Rosemary comes to stay, she makes it her mission to organize this disheveled and forgetful lot. While her lists, schedules, and strings prove useless, she unknowingly inspires young Annie Frazzle to compose songs that help the others remember important things. This silly family story packs a lot of child appeal. Goofy moments, as when Mr. Frazzle forgets his trousers one morning, will have young listeners in giggles. The true strength is in Gammell's signature artwork; a gorgeous mess of rainbow-colored splotches and splatters depict a sudden rainstorm, a muddy yard, and delicate bubbles while erratic lines suggest constant movement as the characters teeter on ledges and jitter across spreads. Even after the Frazzles reform their neurotic ways and find a way to remember things like Grandpa and grocery lists, a final page shows that they retain their essential, and rather charming, flakiness. Messy fun.—Kiera Parrott, Darien Library, CT