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The Frazzle Family Finds a Way Illustrated
by Stephen Gammell Published by Holiday House
Every member of the Frazzle family is disastrously
forgetful. Mr. Frazzle forgets his trousers, Wags the dog can't find his bone, and Annie and Ben bring fishing poles and towels
to school instead of their homework. Not even Aunt Rosemary with her organizational tips can help. But one day Annie
has an idea that combines rhyme, recall, and song into a melodic way to remember in this warmhearted tribute to compensating
for weaknesses.
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Reviews: "This silly family story packs a lot of child appeal...Messy
fun." - School Library Journal "A family with severe short-term memory issues discovers a coping strategy at last in this mildly farcical
outing. Given their tendency to leave home sans trousers or umbrellas, to forget the grocery list--even, in the dog's case,
to forget where the bones are buried--the Frazzles invite Aunt Rosemary in to organize their lives. Unfortunately, even Rosemary's
blizzard of notes, schedules and strings on fingers fails to work. Her bathtub caterwauling, however, inspires young Annie
Frazzle to turn to-do lists into jingles: "Apples, lettuce, bread, and beets, / Chicken, carrots, chocolate treats, /
Milk and cheese and one thing more, / Don't leave Grandpa at the store!" Problem solved. Gammell's illustrations add
a typical air of barely controlled chaos. Disheveled figures sporting confused expressions beneath mops of flyaway hair float
through paint-splashed scenes of riotous domestic clutter. Crisis management for sure, but resolutely low key and capped by
the arrival of a luscious (if, Gammell-style, decrepit) birthday cake." - Kirkus Reviews
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