Meerkat adventures in the Kalahari Desert. Uncle Fearless used to be the king of the Sharpeyes, but after an unfortunate run-in with an eagle owl, the Silent Enemy, he was demoted to baby sitter. His three charges, Mimi, Little Dream and Skeema, are ready for their first visit Upworld. They've been raised on tales of Uncle Fearless' adventures during his Glory Days, when he was among the Blah-blah Tribes (humans): tales of the Ooolooks, the Whevubins and the Click-clicks, not to mention their huge, scary Vroom-vrooms. When Fearless and the young ones venture up, the young trio find the rest of the Sharpeyes don't think much of Fearless. So when they find a pink, elephant-shaped case full of Blah-blah artifacts, they decide to cross the desert to return it. Will they survive Vroom-vrooms, the return of the Silent Enemy and bands of hostile meerkats to find the pointed anthills of the Blah-blahs? Britain's Awesome Animals series penned by several stars of British children's literature comes to America. Each author creates adventures starring a different species; publishing simultaneously are Jeanne Willis' Penguin Pandemonium, Jamie Rix's Panda Panic and Andrew Cope's Raccoon Rampage. Prolific funnyman Whybrow's first of four (so far) meerkat adventures is a goofy mix of misunderstandings and mayhem with black-and-white spot illustrations by Hearn that add to the fun. An associated website and club extend the goofy fun. (Humor. 7-10)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Part of the Awesome Animals series, originally published in the U.K., Whybrow's (Harry and the Dinosaurs) story lives up to its title. Once king of his meerkat tribe in the Kalahari Desert, Uncle Fearless has been relegated to babysitting three cubs after being weakened by an eagle owl attack. He regales his skeptical charges with tales of his "Glory Days," when he was befriended by a group of "Blah-blahs" (humans) who live in "pointy mounds" (tents) and drive "Vroom-vrooms" (cars). When the four meerkats come across a hollow pink elephant on wheels filled with strange (to them) items, they use the contents to outwit marauders, including a rival meerkat tribe and a cobra. The novel's humor derives largely from the power that everyday human items give the cubs: enemies flee when they see their own reflections in sunglasses or are blinded by a camera's flash. Hearn's lively illustrations magnify the silliness of the meerkats' antics and their inadvertent cleverness. Simultaneously available: Panda Panic by Jamie Rix, Penguin Pandemonium by Jeanne Willis, and Raccoon Rampage by Andrew Cope. Ages 7-up. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.