The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza, by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris. Harper, 2022. $16.99 ages 8 and up

 

"The navigation on this thing is busted.

First Cat, can you make any sense of 
that map?

MEOW.

Then I'll just have to point this 
thing upward and hope we pop
past the Land of Frost."

This hilarious graphic novel is the book Chelsea chose for our book club read this month. She read it quickly and suggested I do the same. I had read about this series; I had not seen any of the four books. Start with the first was a grand idea. To say it's as funny as the title suggests is testament to this collaboration between Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris, close friends and equally keen on humor and crazy antics for their young readers. 

When rats from another galaxy begin to eat the moon, scientists launch a cyber cat to protect our closest celestial neighbor. This First Cat in Space is destined to deal the rats. A toenail-clipping robot (LOZ 4000) is a stowaway and the cat's companion for the mission. The Moon Queen greets the two and joins them on their quest. Their mission to deal with the Rat King takes them through a crazy mix of geography that includes a frozen wasteland, wild seas, and forest. The fast pace is captured perfectly by Shawn Harris as he creates compelling characters who move from one improbable place to the next. In full color, the art is as entertaining and hilarious as Mac Barnett's madcap plot. 

One question is constant: despite the many obstacles placed in the way, will the cat tasked with ridding the moon of the Rat King and his minions ever get to taste a slice of pizza? 

An expanded version of their Live Cartoons that were released on Instagram during the pandemic, the quirky humor and wonderful artwork up that hilarity in graphic novel form and has fans who eagerly read each new adventure. To add to the fun of discovering this first cat in space, visit www.thefirstcatinspace.com to see about joining the official FIRST CAT FAN CLUB. 

Be on the lookout for The First Cat in Space and the Soup of Doom, The First Cat in Space and the Wrath of the Paperclip, and The First Cat in Space and the Baby Pirate's Revenge.  

Coming this fall: The First Cat in Space Activity Book.  

Twelve Daring Grays: A Whale Migration Adventure. Written by Nora Nickum and illustrated by Elly MacKay. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 20236. $24.99 ages 5 and up

"And then the tide turns. 
Eight feet of water. 
Seven feet. 
The twelve long to eat more,
but the mudflat will soon be dry, 
and any lingering whales, stranded. 

They abandon the feast 
just in time."

It's February and more than 20,000 gray whales are ready to begin a northern journey from southern California to their feeding grounds in the Arctic. It takes two long months, and as they travel their blubber is depleted to the point where many cannot continue. It is the most amazing thing that twelve of the whales veer from the traditional route taken, leaving the others in order to head east toward the Salish Sea. Why? 

The mud banks of the Salish Sea are rife with millions of nourishing ghost shrimp. The daring challenge lies in the whales needing to move into the shallow waters when the tide comes in. Not wanting to end up stranded there, they move quickly, eat as much as they possibly can, and leave just as quickly when the tide waters recede. 

"The water recedes,
revealing evidence
that their daring plan worked. 

Thousands of pits in the mud - 
whale-size bite marks."

They stay for days, eating whenever the tide rises. After a few weeks, they are ready to push on to the cold Arctic feeding grounds. They will stay until the end of summer when they have enough new blubber for their return to the warmth of the California Baja, just in time to welcome new calves. Will those calves make the same trip one day? 

Elly MacKay's luminous artwork is as beautiful as ever: 'The photographs are scenes created with paper, ink, wire, colored filters, and light.' Each spread captures the reader's attention and allows them to travel alongside these magnificent creatures through gorgeous ocean waters. It is a remarkable journey!

Back matter adds fascinating facts concerning the gray whales and the researchers with Cascadia Research Collective who discovered the daring side trips taken to make their full migration possible each year. An invitation to DIVE DEEPER includes places to find more information. 
                                                                                

Whale, That Was Unexpected, written by Casey Lyall and illustrated by Kathryn Durst. tundra, Penguin Random House. 2026. $24.99 ages 4 and up

"Well, how about that.

There was only one 
thing for Maude to do:

throw a goodbye party."

Maude and her trusty canine companion Claude climb aboard her appropriately named 'trusty little boat' head out to sea every morning. Well prepared and sure she has seen all there is to see, they have a big surprise in store. Readers know it at the first turn of the page when a dark whale shape covers the bottom half of the full spread. As bad luck would have it, the whale opens its humongous jaw and swallows their boating vessel and its occupants in one large gulp. Maude and Claude make the decision to stay plenty cool in the face of disaster, and begin to make a plan for a farewell party. 

"Farewell Maude. 

                   Farewell Claude." 

Maybe not fancy enough. They check with their audience to ensure the eulogy to them is worthy of their long, adventurous lives. The tone changes as all three (including the boat) are honored, and end up sharing the belly with all manner of sea life. Each one swallowed must be added to the list of farewells, including a goat in a boat. That happens just before the whale whooooshes in yet another mouthful ... seal and puffin. 

Their farewell chant is finally ready to be sung for the final time. Everyone joins in. Their fate seems sealed as they sit sedately in their boat in the belly of the whale. An emergency flare is lit to decorate the last sandwich, causing the whale to SNEEZE, and sending the boat back to sea. As Maude, Claude and their new friend Goat head for home, readers are left to wonder what tomorrow may bring. Fortunately, they are left with a clue! 

A mix of gouache, charcoal and digital media ensure the enjoyment for this story is lifted to new levels. The images provide an engaging backdrop for the deadpan comedy of Maude and Claude as they deal with the salty pickle they find themselves in. Readers and listeners will giggle at the repetition and the dialogue that makes them a part of every scene.  It's a tale left to read again next year when my family returns. They have named it a 'keeper', and for many good reasons.     
                                                                                       

         

Emily Saw A Door, written by Mel Rosenberg and illustrated by Orit Magia. Random House Studio, Penguin Random House. 2026. $24.99 ages 4 and up

"Knock, 
        knock, knock

"Welcome. Come in! 

A door that really wants me, thought Emily. 

"This door is for tigers, crocodiles, and
snakes. Which species are you?"
"Oh, I'm a girl named Emily."
"Wonderful. The animals haven't eaten
their lunch.""                   

When Emily sees a door, she knocks. The voice behind the door asks to know who is there. Emily explains and asks to come in. Unfortunately, the door is only for those who are blue. Though Emily's eyes are blue, that is not good enough to allow entry. 

Emily doesn't give up. She knocks on another door. She does her best to get in, is told there is a key under the non-existent mat. Obviously, this a door for liars. Emily moves on again. Next time, she must climb a tiring set of stairs to get to the next door. This door is only open to those willing to climb endless stairs; Emily needs there to be a top. 

The following door offers a warm and hearty welcome. Emily is delighted until she is told it's for tigers, crocodiles, and snakes. Is she one of those? She is not. However, it is lunch time for the animals. Emily quickly departs. In that rush to get to the next door, Emily meets yet another obstacle. The final door is not any more welcoming, causing Emily to just carry on. With no door in sight, Emily stops to draw her own door, and walks right in. When someone stops to knock on her door, Emily is quick to invite him inside! 

What might your own 'just right' door look like? 

crouton: One Cat's Adoption Tale, written and illustrated by Kristine A. Lombardi. Random House, Penguin Random House. 2026. $24.99 ages 4 and up

"When we get there, I do everything I can 
to make her feel welcome.
I make sure she is well fed and
drinks plenty of water. 
After supper I see to it that she has 
a nice, warm bath. 
Then we read a captivating bedtime 
story."

Readers are introduced to Crouton, a calico shelter cat with a pink ribbon tied around her neck, on the opening page. She lives at the shelter with numerous other dogs and cats; all waiting for someone to come along and offer a forever home. Many people walk past her crate. She is always open to the perfect person for her. It is not an easy task until ... 

An 'adorable' child with a love for all shelter animals steps inside. Every other resident of the shelter is keen to adopt her. When she finally notices Crouton, the others fade in comparison. Crouton has finally found the someone to adopt. Crouton does every single thing she can to make her person happy to have been adopted. Luckily, they make very agreeable companions. Crouton does her best to make things as good as they can be for the child. 

Is it true that pets adopt us, just as we adopt them? That is certainly the premise of this lively book. Told from Crouton's point of view, readers watch as the cat takes her new position as 'adopter' very seriously. Readers will chuckle as the cat shares the many duties she takes on to care for the child. It's a book told from a different perspective, and it works. 

                                                                                

We All Cast Shadows, written by James Gladstone and illustrated by Salini Perera. Owlkids, 2026. $22.95 ages 4 and up

"But when a big cloud covers each one 
of our shadows, 

I whistle for the wind to whisk 
that cloud away ...

and our shadow feet appear
under our legs again."

Do you know any child not intrigued by shadows once they discover their existence? As a little girl waits for her mother, a boy with a basketball watches them from beyond the sunshine. She is delighted to see her shadow; he does not have one. A courier leaves an invitation to attend a lunar eclipse party. Mother and daughter head out to enjoy the day, and run some errands. 

As they go, the child continues to notice the many shadows around her: people walking on the street, other children, a dog, the fire hydrant. There is also a shy boy, always in the shadows by himself. He bounces his basketball from his shady spot to her standing in the sunlight. As they continue their walk, she sees more and more shadows in the street, and on the sidewalk. She also loves to play in the shadows cast by trees she is passing. The boy joins them for lunch in the growing shade. Their next stop is at the lunar eclipse party, where many others have gathered to watch the earth cast its shadow over the moon. The walk home in the 'late-night' shadows offers a chance for a happy good night wish. Tomorrow, the adventures can begin once more. 

Salini Perera's eye-catching spreads provide a visual feast for readers on every page. There is so much to see, besides the way that light and shadow entice and entertain. The many details draw the eye on every spread, offering a chance for readers to add their thoughts to the city scenes. She keeps the boy always evident, despite his not stepping into the light. The sights along the way are worthy of discussion, and the progression of the coming darkness is just lovely. Readers are left with a sense of a new friendship taking root in the final scene. 

A visual rendering of a lunar eclipse brings the book to an end. 

SWING! Written and illustrated by James Yang. Viking, Penguin Random House. 2025. $24.99 ages

 

"When the match is over, we decide to play too. 
But I don't play so well. 

Missed!

Aaaaaaaaargh!

Sometimes my brain feels like it's 
bouncing, just like the tennis ball. 

I'm never going to learn the backhand."

At present, it seems that sports television is hosting yet another tennis tournament from a variety of venues on an every-day basis. I thought this would be a great time to tell you about a girl and her father who love to play tennis together. She lets the audience know that Arthur Ashe is her hero, and that her father hits a one-handed backhand just like Arthur did. She needs both hands when she is playing. 

At school while eating kimbap for lunch, Timmy asks to try it. She refuses his request. Her father reminds that Arthur Ashe would be kinder. (Readers will by now recognize Timmy, as he is seen on every spread up until now). 

The two also like to watch television when Arthur is playing; his play is a good example to follow when they practice together. Her father lets her know that she does have things in common with Arthur. He likes to help people; when Timmy asks her to help him learn how to play, she lets him know she is far too busy. She has a match to watch with her father. Watching that match helps her see that she could be a better friend to someone who shares her interest in tennis.  

Retro digital illustrations are worthy of attention, providing a look at life in the late 60s and early 70s when Arthur Ashe was at the height of his career. He was an incredible athlete; he also was a terrific role model for many other reasons. Thanks to her father's patience and her strong will to learn, the two spend many happy days together learning lessons beyond the game of tennis.