Light and somewhat lilting prose moves readers quickly through the tale’s simple plot. Educational concepts appropriate to children in the higher range of picture book years are peppered throughout, while scientific and astronomical references–from the Milky Way galaxy to Mars’s lack of water–play nicely alongside the narrative’s emphasis on geometry. The characters are appealingly rendered, and the painted starscapes in the scenes of intergalactic travel are eye-popping, sometimes drawing focus from the text. Gage and illustrator Anya Louise Davis round out the book by including an art lesson at the end, giving readers the opportunity to draw their own figure made only of ovals, just like the cheery and courageous protagonist.
Gage’s simplistic, albeit catchy nomenclature is one area in which this gem falls short–though the invented proper nouns are memorable, their repetition quickly becomes overwhelming. The somewhat elevated vocabulary may challenge young readers and their caregivers, but will also provide learning opportunities. However, this story’s cool gizmos and delightfully named spacecraft, not to mention the slight cliffhanger ending, ensure this playful tale will be an entertaining bedtime reading.
Takeaway: A fun, brightly colored geometrical adventure for younger children.
Great for fans of: Aviaq Johnston’s What’s My Superpower?, Claire Evans’s The Three Little Superpigs.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B
