Ricky Ricotta has a whole new look in these repackaged editions. The intrepid mouse still vanquishes neighborhood bullies, but now the slight plots are accompanied by original full-color digital art by Santat. With several "flip-o-rama" animation pages and comic-book sequences embedded in the stories, reluctant readers will appreciate chapter books that are easy to get through.

<p>It's easy to see how Pilkey's high-action, easy-reading chapter novel with a comic-book feel would appeal to younger readers. The black-and-white stylish pictures by Ontiveros are way cool and the text is insouciant and funny. This is the third book that pairs the tiny bespectacled mouse, Ricky, with his super-strong, giant robot buddy, a sharp-jawed fellow who looks like an out-of-shape wrestler with rodent ears. Because Ricky is being punished for acting irresponsiblya"he and his robot have come home late for dinner againa"they are the only ones on the Planet Earth who miss the television show Rocky Rodent. And it's a good thing too, because that very night a group of Voodoo Vultures from the Planet Venus, tired of eating the melted mess that passes for food on their super hot planet, beam down rays through the television, hypnotizing Earth's entire population, except for Ricky, into obeying their wishes. When they arrive on Earth, the ravenous vultures order the hypnotized mice to bring them good Earth cooking, in a funny throwaway touch demanding "more chocolate chip cookies" but "no more rice cakes," until Ricky is able to figure out how to save the day. Parents will be happy to know this tale does have a moral, "responsibility . . . is doing the right thing at the right time," though giggling fans may miss it. Also containing a rather lame flip-o-rama and instructions on how to draw the characters, this book is silly good fun. (Fiction. 7-10)</p>

Gr 2-4 Another exciting adventure with the humble rodent and his huge mechanical pal. Fans of the series know just what to expect from this duo and are sure to enjoy their latest brush with danger. The villains here, the Voodoo Vultures from Venus, are appropriately greedy and evil. Their nefarious plans smack of B-grade sci-fi movies (they use a special voodoo ray to hypnotize everyone on Earth via their television sets), and once again the day is saved with humor and heroism. The fast-paced plot, funny details, and over-the-top dialogue will keep readers rolling along through the short chapters with large-type text. As in the earlier titles, black-and-white illustrations appear on every page, the ultimate battle features the now-famous "Flip-O-Rama" technique, and simple drawing lessons are included at the end. Luckily for young readers, there are still six other planets from which enemies may appearand will, according to Pilkey's preview of upcoming titles. In the meantime, though, Pilkey fans, science-fiction aficionados, and reluctant readers won't want to miss this latest installment. Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA