Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 3: Planet of the Pies

A full 35 years after Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (and 16 years after its sequel, Pickles to Pittsburgh), Barrett offers a third food-filled romp starring Kate, Henry, and Grandpa. Monés nicely approximates Ron Barrett’s work on the previous books, as news reports about the possibility of pie filling on the surface of Mars pique the children’s interest. B&w pen-and-ink artwork shifts to color as Grandpa dreams of a trip to the red planet, where the locals have more pie than they can handle. Though the story meanders, Monés’s visions of a dessert-laden Mars should whet readers’ appetites. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)