Guinea Pigs Online

This series launch stars two irresistible guinea pigs friends who share a cage but don't always "see eye to eye, or even whisker to whisker." Go-getter Fuzzy is an aspiring chef, but his attempt to cook for his owners (egg, ketchup, garlic, and dishwashing soap in a blender) backfires comically. Meanwhile, Coco laments the loss of her former harp-playing, queen-hobnobbing life ("One does miss Buckingham Palace"). Fuzzy disappears after reading a newspaper ad announcing that a new London restaurant is looking for guinea pigs. When Coco discovers (via Fuzzy's "Micespace" page) that other guinea pigs have also gone missing and that the eatery is serving "groundbreaking" fare, she's determined to rescue her friend before he lands on the menu. Adding to the mayhem is a Peruvian guinea pig "freedom fighter" who joins Coco's mission, which Gray and Swift bring to a rowdy close. A generous smattering of pictures%E2%80%94Horne's (You Get What You Get) hilarious halftones carry a whiff of Quentin Blake%E2%80%94and a large font help make this a very accessible read. Ages 5%E2%80%938. (Nov.)