Ms. Frizzle's school has a new assistant principal, and he's in for the ride of his life when he hops on board the Magic School Bus to deliver a message to Ms. Frizzle. The class warns him not to touch the little green switch on the dashboard, but it is too late. The next thing they know, the bus is as small as a speck of dust, and a stiff breeze blows it into the eye of an unsuspecting police officer. The bus also travels through the ear of a little boy, the nose of a dog, and even Ms. Frizzle's mouth. Along the margins are snippets of information in the form of Frizzle Facts and excerpts from kids' school reports. Degen's clever illustrations are both humorous and informative, acting as excellent visual aids for little learners. This innovative series continues to educate youngsters in fun and creative ways. (Reviewed February 15, 1999)

In what is perhaps the best volume yet in the popular series, the new assistant principal jumps into the Magic School Bus's driver's seat as the class tries to catch up with Ms. Frizzle after school to relay an important message. The class explores the five senses as the bus shrinks and travels through a police officer's eye, a boy's ear, a dog's nose, and onto Ms. Frizzle's tongue and into her nervous system.

The way-off-road vehicle (The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field, 1997, etc.) tours the ears, eyes, nose, and skin when the assistant principal, Mr. Wilde, accidentally shrinks the school bus and the children on board, commandeering it to deliver a message to Ms. Frizzle. The vehicle plunges into the eye of a police officer, where the students explore the pupil, the cornea, the retina, and the optic nerve leading to the brain. Then it's on to other senses, via the ear of a small child, the nose of a dog, and the tongue of the Friz herself. Sidebars and captions add to the blizzard of information here; with a combination of plot, details, and jokes, the trip is anything but dull. The facts will certainly entice readers to learn more about the ways living creatures perceive the world. (Picture book. 6-9)

Gr 2-5--When Ms. Frizzle drives away from school before receiving an important message, Mr. Wilde, the new assistant principal, hops behind the wheel of the Magic School Bus to catch her. The class jumps aboard, too, knowing full well that only the Friz can handle the bus. When Mr. Wilde flips a mysterious switch, the vehicle shrinks and lands in a police officer's eye, then a child's ear, a dog's nose, and, finally, Ms. Frizzle's mouth as she eats pizza with her mother ("We'd been chewed out by teachers before, but this was ridiculous"). The format is comfortably familiar with text boxes and dialogue balloons complementing the story. Degen's illustrations are just as exciting and exacting as usual. Another fun, fact-filled adventure in the series.--Christine A. Moesch, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, NY