Monsters of Class 7

Poor Miss Bramble has her hands full with her 13 pupils, who climb bookshelves, threaten one another with giant rubber spiders and pick their noses. So the teacher sighs with relief when the well-behaved, tiara-wearing Princess Priscilla joins Class 7. To reward Priscilla's uncommon (you might say otherworldly) politeness, Miss Bramble takes the class on a series of field trips-but on each outing, Priscilla delicately protests, ``I've done this before, Miss.'' The British author-artist team tantalizingly increases the silliness quotient as Miss Bramble tries to astonish the princess: Class 7 visits the Arctic, the jungle, the pyramids and Mars, where the real monster of Class 7 steps forward at last. Although the kids are rendered in a conventional watercolor-and-ink cartoon style, the spreads are filled with eye-catching activity, thanks to the exotic locations and student high jinks. If Goulding's pink Martians are awfully fuzzy and cute, at least they're sufficiently alien. This story's ironic treatment of Miss Bramble will amuse adults, while its unpredictable plot should attract younger readers. Ages 3-up. (Sept.)