Bryan Brain and his sidekicks Icky and Stinky have found themselves in a world sans adults. There's been an alien invasion - well, there was an alien invasion some books ago, actually, but it doesn't really matter - and all the grown ups have been sucked up to populate an extra-terrestrial Space Zoo. This leaves Earth's children to their own happy devices. Bryan, Icky and Stinky, therefore, live a remarkably fulfilling existence that involves fighting, making a mess, building models, eating lots of herby dumplings, and having the odd adventure to fill in the boring moments. It's all rather jolly.