For those who love Captain Underpants, this is vintage. For those who don't . . . well, you know. This time out, George Beard and Harold Hutchins create a comic book about their teacher, Mrs. Ribble, whom they christen the Wicked Wedgie Woman. Is there any point in recounting the plot? Suffice it to say, somehow the boys engineer Mrs. Ribble's transformation for real. Along the way, readers will get plenty of action, underwear, and robots, all stuck together with potty words and other stupid stuff. The comic strip can be clever, although some adults will object to the miserable spelling the boys use: advenchures , inapropreate , askidentelly . Most of the black-and-white illustrations are wild and woolly, with someone being stomped, splashed, shaken, or screamed at in a good many of the pictures. Familiar fare for a devoted fan base.

Pranksters George and Harold hypnotize their mean teacher Ms. Ribble into believing she's the super-powered (and violent) Wedgie Woman. Only Captain Underpants (AKA Principal Krupp) can save the day--and turns Ms. Ribble into the kind of teacher who encourages creativity and passes out chocolate chip cookies. With its irreverent writing style and action-packed comic art, this purposefully silly story will draw reluctant readers.

Trying to salvage failing grades, George and Harold use their handy 3-D Hypno Ring on termagant teacher Ms. Ribble—and succeed only in creating a supervillain with a medusa-like 'do and a yen to conquer the world with wedgie power. Using a pair of robot sidekicks and plenty of spray starch, she even overcomes Captain Underpants. Is it curtains (or rather, wedgies) for all of us? Can the redoubtable fourth graders rescue the Waistband Warrior (a.k.a. Principal Krupp) and find a way to save the day? Well, duh. Not, of course, without an epic battle waged in low-budget Flip-O-Rama, plus no fewer than three homemade comics, including an "Origin of Captain Underpants" in which we learn that his home planet of Underpantyworld was destroyed by the . . . wait for it . . . "Starch Ship Enterprize." As in the previous four episodes, neither the pace nor the funky humor ("Diapers and toilets and poop . . . oh my!") lets up for a moment. Pilkey is still having entirely too much fun with this popular series, which continues to careen along with nary a whiff of staleness. (Fiction. 8-10)

Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman serves up waistband-expanding comedy in this fifth story in the series. George and Harold struggle to pass fourth grade after their comic book imaginings rub their teacher, Ms. Ribble, the wrong way. (Sept.)

Gr 2-5-Fans need not worry. Pilkey's imagination shows no sign of flagging here. When George and Harold's evil teacher announces her departure, she forces the class to write "Happy Retirement" cards for her. Instead, the two boys create a comic book in which they turn Ms. Ribble into the titular "Wicked Wedgie Woman." She sees the book, tells them that they are not allowed to use their imagination in school, and sends them posthaste to the principal. The two friends seize the opportunity to get him to sign a blank card to which they add his protestations of love for Ms. Ribble. Hilarious wedding high jinks ensue (but no marriage). To prevent the villainous woman from retaliating, the protagonists hypnotize her with their 3-D Hypno-Ring. Their plan backfires and a cosmic battle follows, complete with the familiar Flip-O-Rama feature. Among the highlights of this book is an alliterative post-wedding food fight in which, for example, the "creamy candied carrots clobbered the kindergarteners." There is a great deal of laugh-out-loud humor that will appeal to a wide audience. "Captain Underpants" is still one of the best series to get reluctant readers reading.-Tim Wadham, Maricopa County Library District, Phoenix, AZ Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.