Gr. 1-3. In this beginning chapter book, young mad-scientist Franny wants a lab assistant. For Valentine's Day, she gets her wish when her mother gives her Igor, a dog that is supposed to be a purebred Lab. It turns out, however, that Igor is part poodle, part Chihuahua, part beagle, part spaniel, part German shepherd, and completely incompetent. When Igor fools with one of Franny's inventions, a Valentine Poem Generator with 600-plus combinations, he accidentally sets loose a giant, 50-feet-tall, arrow-shooting cupid, and it's up to Franny to save the day. Ultimately, Igor redeems himself by coming to Franny's rescue. Hilarious cartoon drawings by the author capture the action on nearly every page. Fans of early chapter book series featuring Captain Underpants or Ricky Ricotta should find plenty to enjoy in Franny's entertaining misadventures. --Ed Sullivan Copyright 2004 Booklist

As Valentine's Day approaches, ghoulish Franny acquires a lab assistant+a mutt named Igor+who accidentally brings a picture of Cupid to life and then enlarges him. Franny must then catch this big, big baby as he rampages through town. Comic-book-style illustrations overwhelm the slight text, but those who like slapstick (and occasionally gross) humor should enjoy this silly offering. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Gr 2-6-The lovable, heroic mad scientist is back for her second adventure, and her brain is so filled with science that she doesn't know about Valentine's Day traditions. Even with the help of Igor, her new lab assistant (actually, he is part Lab, part beagle, part shepherd, etc.), her attempts to create valentines result in disaster. Then, a real valentine card comes to life, and is "biggerized" to huge, and it takes a superhero to save the school bus full of children from the giant Cupid. Franny biggerizes herself, rides the bus like a skateboard, and saves the day. Igor turns out to be more than a useless mutt, and he and Franny set things right. Benton's cartoon illustrations and writing style will draw fans of Dav Pilkey's "Ricky Ricotta" and "Captain Underpants" series (Scholastic). Fast paced and very funny, this book is likely to fly off the shelves faster than a giant Cupid shoots an arrow.-Sharon R. Pearce, Chippewa Elementary School, Bensenville, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.