Publishers Weekly
★ 04/11/2022
Adapting the “Live Cartoon” series that shares this title’s name, Barnett (John’s Turn) and Harris (Have You Ever Seen a Flower?) replace innovative papercraft and DIY camerawork with an assured graphic novel collaboration. When rats from another galaxy begin devouring the moon, Earth’s smartest scientists dispatch a cybernetically enhanced cat—the First Cat in Space—to deal with the threat. Accompanied by a guileless, toenail-clipping robot named LOZ 4000 and the proud Moon Queen, First Cat adventures across a madcap geography (frozen wastelands, violent seas, living forests) to confront the Rat King. An effective fluid panel structure and frequent perspective changes propel this fast-paced escapade from gag to gag in location after increasingly improbable location. Harris uses a thick, confident line to create an expansive cast of dynamic characters (mostly light-skinned) out of simple shapes, filled and shaded with textural colored pencil. In full, vivid color, the loose cartoon style exudes an infectious glee, flawlessly matching Barnett’s freewheeling, absurdist humor and plotting. Includes sheet music to one of the original series’ tunes, plus a link to a full collection of tracks. Ages 8–12. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (May)
From the Publisher
"In full, vivid color, the loose cartoon style exudes an infectious glee, flawlessly matching Barnett’s freewheeling, absurdist humor and plotting." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Readers looking for the outer space high jinks and gentle humor of Brockington’s Catstronauts and the imaginative and fantastical worldbuilding of Andrews’s This Was Our Pact need look no further than this laugh-out-loud tale of the first cat in space." — School Library Journal (starred review)
"The surprisingly earnest themes of friendship and individual purpose combined with the absurd humor should resonate with this audience of readers." — Horn Book Magazine
“A hilarious graphic novel.” — New York Times
"Ridiculously fun and brilliantly illustrated.” — Dav Pilkey, creator of Dog Man and Captain Underpants
"Epic lunacy." — Kirkus Reviews
"Obvious work of creative joy. A definite winner in the age of Dog Man." — Booklist
"Barnett is cruising comfortably in his usual lane of quirky humor, and Harris matches the absurdity with cleverly composed illustrations that balance visual humor with narrative necessity. Kids who have graduated from Binky the Cat will be delighted to join another furball on intergalactic adventures." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Praise for A Polar Bear in the Snow: ★ “Mesmerizing.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
★ “A winning must.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
★ “Perfect.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
★ “Succinct... yet sophisticated.” — Booklist (starred review)
“An understated, reflective, and loving portrayal that also serves as a celebration of wonder and wandering.” — Horn Book Magazine
“This is a frosty little whimsy with enough of an edge, between the hint at reality for the seals and the bear’s snarl at a human interloper, to be interesting, and Barnett deftly wields a tidy, P. D. Eastman-esque structure that immediately attracts listeners.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Praise for Top Secret Smackdown (Mac B., Kid Spy #3): "Exciting action sneakily infused with points about the relationship between reality and story, delivered by a narrator who can claim with literal truth that he saved the day "on porpoise." — Kirkus Reviews
"This short chapter book, with a familiar graphic style from previous volumes, does not disappoint. Highly recommended for fans of the series, this title features more of the wacky humor they have come to expect." — School Library Journal
Praise for The Impossible Crime (Mac B., Kid Spy #2): "Barnett opens his casebook again-this time to solve a classic locked-room mystery...Almost every page contains Lowery's illustrations, loosely drawn and garishly colored in green and orange, which give the whole affair a zany feel that is much enhanced by the narrative with its running gags. Kudos to a pint-size Poirot, pre-Mustache!" — Booklist
"Barnett's signature dry wit and snappy back-and-forths, particularly between the ingenuously sincere Mac and the standoffish Queen, keep the story steadily moving forward; a convoluted historical account of Colonel Blood's attempted robbery...Lowery's cartoony spot art, in black, green, and orange, provides additional historical and cultural information and frequently supports the narrative." — The Horn Book
"Barnett and Lowery team up again in this second outing of international espionage mystery with royal overtones... this is a nifty mystery for young readers and a worthy sequel to the first." — Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Mac Undercover (Mac B., Kid Spy #1): * "Barnett and Lowery bring the funny to the serious art of espionage in a perfect interplay of text and illustration...Barnett interweaves tidbits of global history fit for trivia lovers, while Lowery's comic-style images play a key role in the humor...Told with a sense of nostalgia for 1980s history and pop culture, the silliness and originality of this book will hook young readers." — School Library Journal (starred review)
"Barnett takes his readers on a fun-filled ride...Barnett's tone throughout the story is humorous, lighthearted, and a little glib, and the over-the-top story is sure to appeal to many readers...an enjoyable romp that will leave readers salivating for the sequel." — Kirkus Reviews
"[Barnett's] riotous series debut as an adult recalling a 1980s childhood caper...goofy, two-color pictures by Lowery (the Doodle Adventure series) ramp up the silliness of this adventure...which should snare even the most hesitant readers." — Publishers Weekly
"Barnett's knack for both quirky situational humor and heartfelt sentiment work in tandem to create a balanced-while still outrageous-early-chapter-book caper. Lowery's frequent cartoony black, yellow, and blue spot illustrations are integral to the narrative, providing clues to eagle-eyed readers and enhancing the humor." — The Horn Book
"Barnett's series falls squarely in line with works from Jon Scieszka's and Dav Pilkey's oeuvres, offering kids another solid choice for what to read next." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Funny as a crumpet. (But truly, secretly a hundred times smarter.)" — Jon Scieszka, author of Caldecott Honor The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales and the New York Times bestselling series Frank Einstein
"With a perfectly absurd premise, dialogue that demands outlandish accents, and a plot that interweaves global history and complete silliness, Barnett royally nails it." — Abby Hanlon, author of the Dory Fantasmagory series
Dav Pilkey
"Ridiculously fun and brilliantly illustrated.”
Booklist
"Obvious work of creative joy. A definite winner in the age of Dog Man."
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Barnett is cruising comfortably in his usual lane of quirky humor, and Harris matches the absurdity with cleverly composed illustrations that balance visual humor with narrative necessity. Kids who have graduated from Binky the Cat will be delighted to join another furball on intergalactic adventures."
New York Times
A hilarious graphic novel.”
Booklist (starred review)
★ “Succinct... yet sophisticated.
Horn Book Magazine
An understated, reflective, and loving portrayal that also serves as a celebration of wonder and wandering.”
Booklist
"Obvious work of creative joy. A definite winner in the age of Dog Man."
The Horn Book
"Barnett's signature dry wit and snappy back-and-forths, particularly between the ingenuously sincere Mac and the standoffish Queen, keep the story steadily moving forward; a convoluted historical account of Colonel Blood's attempted robbery...Lowery's cartoony spot art, in black, green, and orange, provides additional historical and cultural information and frequently supports the narrative."
Abby Hanlon
"With a perfectly absurd premise, dialogue that demands outlandish accents, and a plot that interweaves global history and complete silliness, Barnett royally nails it."
Jon Scieszka
"Funny as a crumpet. (But truly, secretly a hundred times smarter.)"
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
This is a frosty little whimsy with enough of an edge, between the hint at reality for the seals and the bear’s snarl at a human interloper, to be interesting, and Barnett deftly wields a tidy, P. D. Eastman-esque structure that immediately attracts listeners.”
School Library Journal
★ 05/01/2022
Gr 3–5—When moths, the ocean, and a wereduck—all things impacted by the moon—start exhibiting strange behaviors, a scientist working at an observatory notices something incredible: the moon is being eaten by intergalactic rats! When officials at the military headquarters in the Hexagon learn they only have three days to stop the rats or else the moon will be lost altogether, they prepare to send in Project 47: a cat enhanced with microchips in its brain, a cybernetic biotech space suit, and a penchant for pizza. Running gags that manage to stay fresh, clever panel-crossings, and fourth wall-breaking book references are all part of the charming humor of this online experience turned graphic novel. The art is simple but sophisticated, with a rough chalk texture giving it a childlike appearance. The dominant colors of black and cornflower blue are used to represent outer space, but other colors are present—notably warm reds, yellows, and oranges. Many of the characters are anthropomorphic animals; protagonist First Cat never speaks beyond saying "Meow," but meaning is mostly explained via context. Of the humans, there is a mixture of white and BIPOC representation; the General and the scientist appear to be Black. Footnotes are left for readers on where to find music from the story online. VERDICT Readers looking for the outer space high jinks and gentle humor of Brockington's Catstronauts and the imaginative and fantastical worldbuilding of Andrews's This Was Our Pact need look no further than this laugh-out-loud tale of the first cat in space.—Alea Perez
Kirkus Reviews
2022-02-09
Will extragalactic rats eat the moon?
Can a cybernetic toenail clipper find a worthy purpose in the vast universe? Will the first feline astronaut ever get a slice of pizza? Read on. Reworked from the Live Cartoon series of homespun video shorts released on Instagram in 2020 but retaining that “we’re making this up as we go” quality, the episodic tale begins with the electrifying discovery that our moon is being nibbled away. Off blast one strong, silent, furry hero—“Meow”—and a stowaway robot to our nearest celestial neighbor to hook up with the imperious Queen of the Moon and head toward the dark side, past challenges from pirates on the Sea of Tranquility and a sphinx with a riddle (“It weighs a ton, but floats on air. / It’s bald but has a lot of hair.” The answer? “Meow”). They endure multiple close but frustratingly glancing encounters with pizza and finally deliver the malign, multiheaded Rat King and its toothy armies to a suitable fate. Cue the massive pizza party! Aside from one pirate captain and a general back on Earth, the human and humanoid cast in Harris’ loosely drawn cartoon panels, from the appropriately moon-faced queen on, is light skinned. Merch, music, and the original episodes are available on an associated website.
Epic lunacy. (Graphic science fiction. 8-11)
