Book Review:Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith

Here's a review of another classic!

Some people say that Henry Green wasn't actually born, but hatched, like a chick, from a cocoa bean. Can you believe that? Henry absolutely LOVES chocolate more than most people do(he even gives John Midas a run for his money!), and even adds some to everything he eats(Chocolate syrup on pancakes, chocolate sprinkles sprinkled on top of pasta, chocolate bar sandwiches, chocolate syrup mixed into mashed potatoes, etc.). As Henry soon discovers, however, too much of a good thing may not necessarily be a good thing! One day, he discovers several little brown spots on his arm, which soon start popping out all over his body(with an audible popping sound, even)!

When Henry's condition is checked out by the school nurse, and eventually the doctor, it's revealed that the spots are made out of pure chocolate. The doctor thus dubs the condition "Chocolate Fever", which he assumes is sure to make medical history. Henry, not caring for this kind of fame, quickly runs away from the hospital, with the doctors in hot pursuit. Things look bleak for Henry, until he meets a kindly trucker named Mac.




My Thoughts:A very interesting, funny, well-written, and very nicely illustrated book. The characters are very likeable and have lots of personality(Mac's my fav character!); Henry himself is a very likeable and sympathetic character. The implicit moral of the story is that all things are best in moderation, which is, in fact, a pretty good idea.

An animated version of this book was made for the CBS Storybreak TV series in the '80s(hosted by Bob Keeshan, who was best known for playing Captain Kangaroo). This version was very book-faithful, save for a few minor differences, e.g. Henry's brother Mark doesn't appear in the film, and Henry sneaks into Mac's truck and hides, rather than Mac simply offering him a lift, as in the book. The film, IMHO, was very well made; the artwork was absolutely great, and the voices were very well-cast. Both the book and the film are good companion pieces to The Chocolate Touch.

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