LOUISE THE BIG CHEESE AND THE OOH-LA-LA CHARM SCHOOL

The ever-ambitious Louise is back for another adventure-cum–life lesson, accompanied by her adorable dog PeeWee.

As in previous outings, Louise has high hopes of improving her status that don’t quite work out as planned. This time around there’s also a villain of sorts who leads her astray: snooty Claire Eclaire, in town to visit her grandmother. Claire’s from Paris (no, really—though not the one in France, as Louise eventually discovers), and she uses the promise of “charm school” lessons to coerce Louise into doing her chores and letting her win at games. In the process, Louise ignores her faithful BFF Fern (again) and embarrasses herself in front of family and friends as usual. It all works because Primavera’s deadpan delivery and Goode’s over-the-top illustrations emphasize the sheer silliness and thus manage to keep Louise entertaining rather than annoying (though her older sister Penelope might not entirely agree with that assessment). Fans of the series will be happy to see that the essential elements are present: Louise’s fantasies are explosions of cotton-candy pink, dialogue balloons further the plot and the pictures provide plenty of amusing details to pore over. Those new to Louise’s “sleepy town” will likely be eager to catch up on her previous escapades.

Tongue-in-cheek humor balances the bling to make this a fancy series that both adults and children can enjoy.