General Information
Title: Babymouse Mad Scientist
Author: Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Random House
Date of Publication: 2011
Illustrator: Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm
Lexile Level & Target Audience
Lexile: GN440L
Age Range: 8-11
Audience: girls, science lovers, science fair
Brief Summary
Babymouse Mad Scientist (a graphic novel) follows Babymouse as she dreams about becoming a famous scientist. While working on a school science fair project, she discovers a new species of amoeba named "Squish." While at first she is not so enthused about the scientific method, Babymouse realizes that even the more mundane processes of science can produce exciting results.
Evaluation: Pros & Cons
Pros:
1. Babymouse doesn't give in to negative peer pressure. Although she is initially discouraged when her school friends tease her about doing her science project on a "lame ameoba," Babymouse persists and doesn't give in to their negative comments. And as a result, she ends up thoroughly enjoying her project.
2. The language is natural sounding and engaging. This book is especially beneficial for young readers who are struggling to read at grade level; the small blurbs of text alongside images (in comic-strip format) keep the plot engaging rather than overwhelming.
Cons:
1. Babymouse is a bit irresponsible. In the beginning of the book, Babymouse's father asks her if she's cleaned her room yet, but by the end of the book (after all of her science fair adventures) she still hasn't cleaned it. Her father plays it off in a sarcastic joke, sending the message that this disobedience is somewhat humorous and rationalized.
Literary Elements
Allusion: Various references are made to other sources of entertainment/literature, including Star Trek ("Beam me up, Scotty!") and Horton Hears a Who.
Tone: The tone here has a sarcastic, "random" nature; short sentence fragments are used to describe images (rather than long paragraphs of text description), and the dialogue between characters is abbreviated and quick-witted.
Characterization/Personification: Babymouse and her family are mice personified as humans; there are also other characters in the books personified as humans, such as a turtle, a pig, and a bird.
Illustrations
The graphic images are humorous and effective at enhancing the action of the plot; they span a variety of shapes and layouts, too, straying away from a typical comic-book style format, but still maintaining the comic-strip feel.
Mini-lesson Idea(s)
This interplay between text and illustration––i.e. their "codependence" on one another to convey meaning––would be a great option for students to explore in their own writing. Students could start small by creating a one to two page comic strip, with an emphasis on allowing the image to help interpret the text, and vice versa. This comic strip could be based on a theme that is currently being discussed in class, or it could be more of a free-write exercise.
Cheers!
- Aubrey
I like your idea of students developing their own comic strip or graphic novel. It would be particularly helpful for students who are struggling with visualization, or the ability to "see a movie in your head" as you read text. I love comics in general because of that codependence of text (caption and speech) and illustration. I'm a big Calvin & Hobbes and Peanuts fan, as well, which could be used in addition to Babymouse!
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