Izzy Gizmo and the Invention Convention

Izzy Gizmo is a spunky young girl stepping into the spotlight with her inventing prowess. An invitation slips through her mail slot informing a surprised Izzy of her requested attendance at the Invention Convention. With her supportive, quirky grandfather and her trusty assistant, Fixer the bird, she gathers her supplies and travels to Technoff Isle. Thanks to a competitor’s wastefulness as broken tools pile up on the floor, inspiration strikes and Izzy knows exactly what to create—the Tool-Fix-Recycle-O-Matic! When their competitor’s machines begin to blow fuses, Fixer and Izzy combine their problem solving skills to tinker and tweak their invention to be environmentally friendly by using energy from the wind, sun, and water. Fixer and Izzy both get a ribbon as their amazing invention wins first prize. Ogilvie’s busy and colorful illustrations perfectly mirror Izzy’s throw-it-together style. While impressive rhymes adorn the pages, they break once in the middle and it takes more than one read aloud to master the flow. The disappointing aspect of all the other contestants’ machines failing ranks this educationally motivating read slightly below similar titles like Rosie Revere, Engineer, yet it remains a worthwhile addition to the genre promoting girls in science with an ending theme of friendship and teamwork.