Professor Sniff and the Lost Spring Breezes

P.J. Sniff collects wind from around the world, cultivates it at his farm, and sells it to kite flyers, boaters, windsurfers, and others, but a Florida hurricane that grows into a typhoon nearly sweeps away the entire Callender Hill.

Grade 2-4?This funny beginning chapter book will keep readers laughing even after the story is finished. There is a problem in the town of Callender Hill?it's spring and there is absolutely no wind. Meanwhile, on the Blow Me Down Sideways Wind Farm, where customers can buy all kinds of breezes, Professor Sniff is worried about the shortage and is sure that something fishy is going on. The mystery is solved when the baby hurricane that the professor picked up on a trip to Florida is seen consuming every stray breeze. The storm grows stronger and stronger, breaks out of its storage shed, eventually earns the name Typhoon Trevor, and heads out for a romp through the countryside, with the agitated professor following close behind. The story has a strong plot that will hold readers' interest. Each character has lots of personality and ridiculous quirks. Miss Endicott, an elderly lady with a cat named Fido, tries to return her wind chimes and insists that the wind should be included with the purchase. Children will be amused by the descriptions of the different types of wind produced on the farm, such as burps, sighs, slurps, and hiccups. The black-and-white sketches are an added bonus, providing amusing glances at the action. A great addition to the humor section.?Evelyn Butrico, Cold Spring Harbor Library, Greenlawn, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4^-6. Unable to go sailing because there's no wind, Sam and Lorna decide it might be fun to run their father ragged as he tries to help them fly a kite on the windless day. Batty, forgetful old Mrs. Endicott has a bone to pick with the garden store: the wind chimes she bought don't work, and she's furious that the store doesn't supply wind. It seems that air is not free in the topsy-turvy town of Callender Hill, and the only one who can save the day is Professor Sniff, who keeps a wind farm with every type of wind imaginable. Instead of restoring normalcy, however, Professor Sniff creates havoc--with a souvenir hurricane he brought back from Florida. Shearer's witty narrative effortlessly combines the three story lines with snappy dialogue, laugh-out-loud humor, and quirky characters. It's a tornado of fun. Kathleen Squires