DOCTOR PROCTOR'S FART POWDER. By Jo Nesbo. Illustrated by Mike Lowery. Translated by Tara Chace. Aladdin, 2011 (paperback), 2010, 2008.
The chief selling point of Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder is blatantly obvious. You would be hard pressed to find a child who didn’t think flatulence funny. And this isn’t normal gas. We’re talking about explosive power that makes the earwax press into your head while your eyes press out of it. Even more appealing, it’s odorless.
The good doctor, the eccentric of his sedate neighborhood, lives on the Oslo fjord, tinkering on new inventions that, like a powder intended to prevent hay fever, generally disappoint him. When a new kid of Lilliputian size named Nilly moves onto quiet Cannon Street, things are going to change, and not just because of his irreverent attitude or loud trumpet playing.
He boosts the confidence of the girl next door, Lisa, and becomes her best friend. They help Doctor Proctor to see that his powder does not have to serve any more useful purpose than making children laugh in order to be profitable. Nilly delivers a proper comeuppance to the bullies who rule Cannon Street, Truls and Trym Trane.
There’s much more to the story, though, including an anaconda sliding through the sluices of the Oslo Municipal Sewer and Drainage Company, huge servings of Jell-O, and the Big and Almost World-Famous Royal Salute at Akershus Fortress, the city’s ancient protector, in honor of Norway’s Independence Day every May 17.
As you can tell, Jo Nesbo, better known for his adult crime novels, has no higher goal here than unadulterated silliness. What’s wrong with that? Widely spaced print lines and lots of charmingly primitive drawings by Mike Lowery make this slapstick saga easy to read. There are absolutely no stumbling blocks in Tara Chase’s adept translation.
Recommended for third graders on up.
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