CatStronauts: Mission Moon: 01/06/17

CatStronauts: Mission Moon by Drew Brockington is the first book in a new graphic novel series about cats in space. Rather, it's about an elite team of space cats who save the earth from an energy crisis. The only way to get enough power for all the devices in use is to beam solar energy down from the moon.

Like the ensemble cast in Space Brothers (an excellent anime, and on-going manga), these cats are individually very goofy. But they are still the best in their field and just the cats needed keep the earth from a permanent blackout.

I know. I know. Officially I don't take ARCs. I haven't been taking them for about two years and made the policy official last year. But sometimes an ARC falls into my hands that's too irresistible to ignore. If the book is coming from a known, trusted source that doesn't expect a review or any special treatment, I sometimes say yes. And sometimes if the planets are in alignment, I'll even review the ARC.

In this case, it's actually two books in one: CatStronauts: Mission Moon and CatStronauts: Race to Mars. Both are being released in April. The series title right away sets the tone: it's a graphic novel series about cats who are astronauts.

Although these books are being marketed for children in grades two to five, there's a lot here for older readers too. Tucked into the story are puns, such as the agency they work for: Catsup. There are visual Easter eggs too: such as the floating can of tuna at the chapter breaks — a very silly nod indeed to one of the most ridiculous episodes of Robotech ever.

Five stars

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