John Bianchi’s latest children’s book features his familiar, entertaining, high-energy, humorous illustrations. The pictures in The Lab Rats of Doctor Eclair are up to his usual high standards – full of energy and fun. Bianchi manages to create a feeling of three-dimensional depth by an intriguing use of soft focus and blurred backgrounds. But unfortunately, the text and humour in this story are mostly aimed at adults, not kids. An example: the professor undertakes a search for some lost rats using a computer running a program called Ratscape 2.0. Adults struggling to master the World Wide Web will likely find this clever, but it is unlikely to tickle the funny bone of a preschooler. Also, the plot lacks cohesion, and the story ends up seeming rather pointless. Bianchi’s illustrations are first class, and will appeal to kids young and old, but if you are looking for a good story for young children, you may want to wait for the next Frank B. Edwards/John Bianchi collaboration.