CatStronauts: Mission Moon

by Federico Bellentani

Overview

CatStronauts, you are needed!

When the world is thrust into darkness due to a global energy shortage, the Worlds Best Scientist comes up with a bold plan to set up a solar power plant on the moon. But someone has to go up there to set it up, and that adventure falls to the CatStronauts, the best space cats on the planet! Meet the fearless commander Major Meowser, brave-but-hungry pilot Waffles, genius technician and inventor Blanket, and quick thinking science officer Pom Pom on their most important mission yet!

In this graphic novel, debut author and illustrator Drew Brockington breathes life into a world populated entirely by cats, brimming with jokes, charm, science, and enough big boxes and tuna sandwiches for everyone!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316307451
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	04/18/2017
Series:	CatStronauts Series , #1
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	9,189
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Drew Brockington has flown a Space Shuttle, repaired the International Space Station, and served in Mission Control; all during a week at Space Camp. He works at his drawing table while his dog snores at his feet. CatStronauts is his first book. He lives with his family in Minneapolis.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for CatStronauts:
An Indiebound Bestseller

"With its appealing blend of cuteness, substance, and humor, this should have readers over the moon.

"

—Kirkus Reviews

"Brockington's off-the-wall kitty sci-fi series packs the full-color panels with cute cats, space travel, and comical high jinks... sure to elicit lots of giggles among middlegrade comics fans."—Booklist

"The engagingly lighthearted drama and positive resolutions, and the expressive characters, who are as adorable as they are adventurous, provide... fun purchases that will do well on their own or paired with heavier nonfiction titles on history or the environment."

—School Library Journal

"Humor and suspense compete throughout... In playful, mock-heroic, full-color cartoons, Brockington mines space theater for everything.... Even the chapter headings get in on the fun."—Publishers Weekly

"There's lots of enthusiasm for graphic novels for this age range, and the CatStronauts deserve a spot."—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

From the Publisher

02/06/2017
First in the CatStronauts series, newcomer Brockington’s graphic novel for the chapter book crowd casts short, fireplug-bodied cats in the place of human astronauts, providing rich opportunities for jokes. Waffles, Major Meowser, Pom Pom, and Blanket are summoned when an energy crisis hits Brockington’s cat-run version of the U.S. and instructed to install a solar power plant on the moon. Humor and suspense compete throughout, and as goofy as the mission is, the pacing and arc of actual moon landings give this version its own preset climax and triumphant conclusion. Capturing the action in playful, mock-heroic, full-color cartoons, Brockington mines space theater for everything from tense drama (“We’re supposed to be the CatStronauts. The best of the best. But we’re acting like a bunch of barn kittens”) to technology (“I can hook up Cat-Stro-Bot to the main computer and use his ear sensor arrays as a backup navigation system”). Even the chapter headings get in on the fun, picturing a can of tuna drifting gently through the darkness of deep space. Available simultaneously: Race to Mars. Ages 6–10. Agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

When the electrical power needed to run all the gadgets on earth exceeds the supply, the world appears to be headed for total darkness. Brownouts and then blackouts forecast a looming crisis. The President of the United States calls on the world’s best scientist, who suggests a moon-based power plant that will collect solar energy from the sun and beam it back to earth. Only one team can do this special mission: the catstronauts Pom Pom, Blanket, and Waffles, led by Major Meowser. In short order, and with many distractions such as detours for snacks and naps, the team prepares for the mission. With time running out, they take off into space to build the power station that will save the world. Brockington’s illustrations are brightly colored line drawings, filled with flat washes of primary and secondary hues. Expressive line work and individual color markings distinguish each member of the team, and behavioral quirks and preferences help round out each personality. Each cat’s skill set contributes to the mission in a one-for-all and all-for-one team effort. Filled with cat-centric humor, puns, and jokes, the emphasis on celebration of individual strengths and tolerance for each other’s weak points is an important part of this novel’s charm. In spite of tripping up all over the place, the team lands on its collective feet, and the earth is supplied with limitless, renewable, clean energy. Brockington’s novel is the first in a “CatStronauts” series featuring space travel and interplanetary problem solving. It would be a good addition to an elementary school classroom or library as a resource to encourage interest in science and to initiate discussions about teamwork and how individual strengths contribute to the whole. Reviewer: Hazel Buys; Ages 8 to 12.

Children's Literature - Hazel Buys

02/01/2017
Gr 2–5—Major Meowser leads a ragtag crew of feline astronauts (the "CatStronauts") whose goal is to save the planet and earn the coveted position of world's most advanced space program. In Mission Moon, the president of the United States asks the "World's Best Scientist" for help after learning that Earth is experiencing a global energy crisis and is about to go dark for good. After formulating a scheme to cover the moon in solar panels to harvest energy for Earth, the president and the scientist call on the CatStronauts to bring the plan to fruition. In Race to Mars, four competing space initiatives, including the CatStronauts's C.A.T.S.U.P. program, race to make history as the first cats to set paw on Mars. But problems arise when the rushed pace results in unnecessary errors, forcing the felines to act quickly and avoid catastrophe. Despite the weighty nods to historical events (the Cold War space race), potential future manned space missions, and global energy concerns, both volumes manage to remain consistently cheery and humorous. The jokes, which are mostly cat puns or based on cat behaviors, are occasionally repetitive and predictable. However, the inclusion of a female CatStronaut, the engagingly lighthearted drama and positive resolutions, and the expressive characters, who are as adorable as they are adventurous, provide enough variation to more than make up for it. Soft retro pastels, reminiscent of the art of the 1950s, nicely complement the sometimes cluttered, sometimes airy panels and mostly steady line work. VERDICT Fun purchases that will do well on their own or paired with heavier nonfiction titles on history or the environment.—Alea Perez, Westmont Public Library, IL

School Library Journal

2017-02-01
A group of adorable astronaut cats must venture to the moon to remediate the Earth's energy crisis. In a world like ours, only populated by anthropomorphic cats, all of felinity is plagued by electrical blackouts, which are quickly becoming more frequent. Their bumbling commander in chief places a quick call to the World's Best Scientist, and before one can say "meow," the CatStronauts are on the case. Blanket, Pom Pom, Waffles, and Mr. Meowser must fly to the moon to construct a solar power plant to help alleviate the looming power catastrophe. Will the lovable feline heroes be able to complete their lunar mission and save the day? Brockington's graphic offering is good, smart fun, with unapologetically charming and playful characters and gentle science lessons. His feline world mirrors ours in a clever and familiar way, exploring real and contemporary issues (like depleting energy stores) through an entertaining and comedic lens. In simultaneous release, the next volume, Race to Mars, examines the space race between the CatStronauts and other cat nations, keeping in stride with the feel-good tone and STEM inclinations established in its predecessor. With its appealing blend of cuteness, substance, and humor, this should have readers over the moon. (Graphic science fiction. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews