Wimpy Kid for science geeks

This book happened to by the second along the Wimpy Kid wanna-be line, and I didn't particularly care for the first, so I didn't have high hopes.   I'm happy to say Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor by Jon Scieszka pleasantly surprised me. I should have guessed, Scieszka is one of my favorite picture book authors.

The story is a tale of young Frank Einstein, his best friend, Watson, and their plan to win the Midville Science Prize.  Frank, our intrepid genius, fails in creating a learning robot, but a stray spark solves the problem.  The results...Klink and Klank....robots made from scraps, create themselves.  The four of them work together to create a new project.  But, his arch-nemesis, T. Edison, and Edison's sidekick, Mr Chimp, will stop at nothing to win the prize for themselves.  There are flying bicycles, robots that love hugs and knock knock jokes, and more than a little real science.

I love that this book checks all the boxes.  It's silly, with funny illustrations.  There is a chimp that uses sign language, an evil genius, and an absent-minded professor.  But, at the very same time, sometimes on the same page, their is serious science, complete with explanations at the end.  Laughing and learning, what more could you want?