Reviews

Jazz, you clever girl, you had me at hadrosaur's tooth...but it was still loads of fun seeing all the wacky and wonderful items being pulled out of thin air and inflatable kiddie pools. Book of Bad Bargains is an absolute delight to read and likely one of the most creative I've come across in several months. Laura Teste has a talent for rhythmic prose, churning out lines like, "A photon zips. A photon flits; So, hold this really tight. When set free, a photon flies; Fast like the speed of light." Perhaps more impressive is the fact that Teste is also the artist of her book's illustrations, which is a rare treat and not something we come across often in kid-lit. The science fiction aspects are well-integrated and child friendly. They are consistently simple to read and easy to absorb. As a 'girl dad, ' I was particularly happy to see that the wheeling, dealing little firecracker of a science prodigy is female. Overall, this is a tightly written and exceptionally well-crafted story. Very highly recommended. -- Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite (Five Stars)