Rock Mammoth

February 1, 2020
Louis' class report on his favorite pet surprises everyone. Enthusiastically launching his presentation on Mammuthus rockus, the rock mammoth, Louis provides background on prehistoric mammoths, digressing to the Icelandic researcher Voïvoden Mamouten, who discovered the species. Telling his classmates rock mammoths disappeared mysteriously, he goes into a lengthy definition of what constitutes a mystery and a hypothesis, frustrating his teacher, who urges him to get back to his report. Louis then reviews various hypotheses on why rock mammoths disappeared, culminating with his own that they simply went into hiding. Explaining he's read every library book on mammoths and including a selected bibliography, Louis describes in detail his scientific expedition in search of a rock mammoth. Recess comes and goes, with the class amazed and teacher incredulous. When Louis finally announces his discovery, the teacher demands proof. Does Louis have a real rock mammoth or just a great imagination? While the amusing text offers scientific data about mammoths as well as a playful introduction to the scientific method, Mammuthus rockus appears to be a phantom species. Using the format of a school notebook containing Louis' hilarious marginal notes and diagrams reinforces the classroom venue and enhances the comic visual presentation of unflappable Louis and his very cool rock mammoth. Whimsical, imaginative, and highly entertaining. (Fiction. 7-10)

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April 1, 2020
Grades 1-3 In this unusually wild and woolly school report, young Louis retraces his painstaking search for Mammuthus rockus?a little-known species of prehistoric pachyderms long ago forced into hiding by pursuing fans, though not before giving rise to the more hirsute types of '70s singers who my father imitates when he thinks no one is looking. In spite of his skeptical teacher's efforts to cut him off, Louis forges on, his careful amassing of evidence proving so riveting to his classmates that they refuse to go out for recess. Just another shaggy dog story, you say? Not at all: Louis triumphantly opens his bag and out pops a guitar-wielding mini-mammoth sporting cool shades, who proceeds to set one and all (teacher included) to showing off their dance moves. If the illustrations seem a bit subdued, being a mix of Louis' written notes and quick sketches on white notepaper alternating with scenes of rather stiffly posed, dot-eyed figures placed against pale pastel backdrops, the tale of scientific (or, OK, scientific ) discovery is thrilling from first note to last.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)