Ricky Ricotta's Giant Robot

""Some day something BIG will happen, and you will find a friend,"" his father tells Ricky, a lonely mouse whose diminutive stature makes him a target of bullies. Mr. Ricotta is only partially right: Ricky does find a friend, but nothing of consequence happens in this slim volume--the first in a series. The book features the same ""flip-o-rama"" technique (readers flip certain pages back and forth, creating the effect of animation) as do Pilkey's Captain Underpants titles. Unfortunately, both the artwork (which looks suspiciously like Pilkey's) and the plot lack the wry bite and comic energy of that earlier series. Evil Dr. Stinky McNasty creates an enormous robot that refuses to obey a command to stomp out Ricky's hometown of Squeakyville. When the mad doctor tries to punish his uncooperative invention, the tiny mouse comes to the defense of the giant robot and it follows him home. Ricky's new ""pet"" bests the bullies, wows Ricky's class at school and manages to foil Dr. Stinky's attempt at revenge. Pilkey's tale may well give timid or bullied kids a shot of reassurance, but its humor falls as flat as Dr. Stinky's attempt to destroy the city. In eight adventures scheduled to follow, Ricky's robot battles creatures from other planets. Ages 6-10. (Feb.)