Addie Adam

I didn't love Hilda and the Mad Scientist, but it wasn't terrible. The kids didn't really have any feelings about it either, so it's not one we'll be reading again.

"Chillingly silly" isn't a great description though, since there's nothing scary about this book. The "Dr. Frankenstein wannabe" spends most of his time trying to rid himself of a housekeeper he didn't want in the first place. Hilda shows up unannounced and uninvited, then proceeds to do whatever she wants in someone else's home. I think she said something about going where she's needed, but no one ever asked for her help. She also seems to make a mess of things instead of actually helping. It's not something that's addressed in the text, but the illustrations show Hilda being clumsy and destructive.

Maybe this would work better for younger children? The silly aspects may potentially be better suited for those that fall into the 0-3 age group. The Dr. creating his "worst nightmare" at the end also fell a little flat and was something that had to be explained to my kiddos. They didn't understand why he'd be so upset by the development, which also showed me they hadn't really understood the character flaw that made Hilda so unappealing as a "helper." (★★★☆☆)

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