"Logical Larry" - a brainy boy with a mighty mission

---Book Review

Larry Butterball loves truthful facts, and he gets irritated when people use silly sayings to prove their point. If a person says something is "flat as a pancake," Larry will measure the object against a real pancake to see if that is true. If they say, "curiosity killed the cat," he will want to know which cat and how it was killed.

His peculiar habit annoys other kids, so he doesn´t have many friends. It's also the reason they call him, "Logical Larry." But the moniker doesn´t bother Larry. He has a "mission." He´s going to show the world just how silly such sayings are.

From the long list he´s collected, the first saying he plans to disprove is, "Always wear clean underpants in case you are run-over by a bus." With determination (and the suitable under garments), Larry sets out to find an accommodating bus.

On the way, he meets Fyn, a girl with an unusual talent. She decides to join him on his mission. With her help, Larry learns what true friendship is, what it means to be "scientific," and that he can be an honest-to-goodness hero … without half trying.

Young readers will delight in Larry´s humorous and embarrassing adventures. They will laugh at his blunders and cheer at his victories. And they will want him to return with more ´silly sayings´ to investigate.

With hundreds of sayings, expressions and proverbs to draw from, LOGICAL LARRY could easily be the first in a very entertaining series.

Along with humor, Vick weaves into this heartwarming story, empathy and admiration for her serious young protagonist. He may be a "dork" but he´s an appealing one. And with his clever new sidekick, they are an unbeatable pair.

Vick´s storytelling style, dialogue and descriptions are clever and delightful, with special appeal for 2rd-4th graders. Ramis Kim´s adorable drawings perfectly illustrate the characters´ unique personalities.

LOGICAL LARRY includes a 30-word Vocabulary List to help early readers with a few of the more "advanced" words. The definitions are clear and the example sentences are kid-friendly and clever.

Written by Jacqueline Vick

Illustrated by Ramis Kim

56 pages, $9.95

Available on amazon.com