Binky Under Pressure, written and illustrated by Ashley Spires. Kids Can, 2011. $16.95 ages 8 and up

"But she has defeated the alien...
So Gracie and Binky must be on
the same side!
She's not a robot, she's his boss!
A high-ranking F.U.R.S.T. official
in HIS space station!

But why?"

Beware, aliens! Binky remains at the ready. If you are thinking that you might harm his humans, you've got another think coming. He is always on guard, constantly prepared for invasion. Lately, however, there has been little to distract him and his life has become humdrum:

"NAP. ALIEN. NAP. EAT. WASH. NAP. EAT. NAP. CUDDLE. NAP. NAP. UNTIL ONE MORNING..."

On that particular morning, Binky is introduced to a striped ginger cat being fostered by the family. It is hate at first sight and it only gets worse when the space cat realizes that a lot of sharing is going to be done...food, home, toys. Binky will soon change that! He tries, to no avail.

The only way he is going to get rid of her is to 'get the goods' on her. Being equally as good at spying as he is at protection, Binky sets out to see what her motives are. What he learns is that Captain Gracie has been sent to put him through his paces, and to evaluate him. She is quick to bring up past errors. Binky is extrememly confident and sees no reason to be concerned. He knows his skills and abilities. Gracie's many attempts to outwit him prove problematic for Binky. True to space cat and alien invasion tradition, Binky proves himself worthy of his humans' trust and a promotion.

I love that Ashley Spires has sustained the humor, the characters, and the pure delight of this series. In his third adventure, Binky remains true to himself while always on guard. The graphic illustrations infuse even more humor than is afforded by the text. The artist changes perspective, adds captions and details that enhance the storyline and even offers a promise of more to come...