Review by Booklist Review
Spaceman Niko, his copilot Radar the robot, and his dog, Tag, pursue adventures in deep space. No matter what perils the intrepid crew face, every night they return to Planet Home, where Mom and Dad let them park their spaceship in the backyard. Niko is disgusted when his sister, Posh, who's not even supposed to be in the book, barges in on their latest mission: finding a lost cat. Posh manages to track down the cat, but Niko, in a jealous snit, abandons her on the moon. Then he relents and changes his mind and decides to rescue her after all. Posh, however, is determined to rescue herself, and everyone ends up safe back home in time for dinner. Large-font chapter headings telegraph upcoming action (To the Moon!), and Neubecker's illustrations are packed with exciting, cartoonish sci-fi details. Little kids will chuckle over Posh and Niko's squabbles, especially as they humorously distract from the adventure at hand. This lighthearted celebration of imagination will appeal to kids who love stories about intergalactic voyagers.--McBroom, Kathleen Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Niko has an impressive space fantasy going, aided by a tricked-out cardboard-box rocket ship, his dog, his trusty robot toy, and Neubecker's vivid, comically earnest cartooning. But his sister, Posh, keeps trying to hijack the narration, despite Niko's admonition that "She is not in this story." Then Niko decides that maybe his sister, who has proved herself dismayingly competent, could have a role after all: damsel in distress, with Niko cast as the rescuing hero. "Now Posh is part of this story," he decides, only to discover that his leading lady won't cooperate. Dividing the story into eight chapterlike sections, Regan (Barnyard Slam) takes readers inside the head of a very imaginative child, honoring Niko's desire to control his story while affectionately spoofing it. It's a funny and fresh spin on sibling conflict that offers some downright philosophical musings on the notion of authorial autonomy: We may be able to imagine any story, but can we ever claim sole ownership? Don't our characters get a say, too? Ages 3-7. Author's agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown. Illustrator's agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-With his homemade spaceship, Niko is eager to find a cat that he believes is lost on the moon. His dog, Tag, and robot, Radar, join him, but Niko makes it clear that his sister Posh is not invited on the mission. Nevertheless, upon landing on the lunar surface, Niko sees that Posh has snuck along. Tempers flare when he discovers, after searching for the cat, that Posh has cleverly managed to locate it herself. Jealous, Niko provokes a fight, refusing to allow her to enter the spaceship and return home. His crew disapproves so he goes back, but strong-willed Posh refuses to be rescued. She ends up finding her own way home, and returns the cat to its owner. The digital illustrations employ a bold but limited color palette, which highlights the contrast between the deep black space and the bright white moon. Full-page illustrations are combined with paneled sequences. The text is clear and the narration concise, and events transition nicely between reality and the kids' imaginations. A good read-aloud to highlight strong female characters and discuss sibling rivalries.-Whitney LeBlanc, Staten Island Academy, NY (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Intrepid space hero Niko, who lives on Planet Home with his dog, Tag, and his copilot, Radar, is on a mission to find a lost cat on the moon. Thats what the narrator tells us, but the first few illustrations show whats really happening: a boy, his dog, and his toy robot are on a pretend journey in a cardboard-box spaceship (a Lost Cat sign on a neighborhood tree provides inspiration). The narrator matter-of-factly continues: Nikos sister, Posh, lives on Planet Home, too. But she is not in this story. Despite Nikos best efforts to control the narrative, which is divided into eight brief chapters, persona-non-grata Posh inserts herself into the action by stowing away on her brothers spaceship. Filled with kid-pleasing details, Neubeckers comical illustrations give themselves over to Nikos imagination after blast-off and, until the end, are set in space or in a fantastic lunar landscape. The expressive art works in concert with Regans tongue-in-cheek text, enriching the story and helping make its relatively sophisticated structure easier to follow. Theres some drama when Niko, in a huff, abandons Posh on the moon (Since Posh is not in this story, it is SO NOT FAIR that she found the missing cat); his grand gesture to save Posh is rebuffed: the lost sister refuses to be rescued. The final three pages bring everyone safely back to Planet Home in time for dinner. kitty flynn (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A trip to the moon in search of a neighbor's lost cat is all in a day's work for Niko and his crew.Space hero Niko puts the finishing touches on an elaborate cardboard-and-tape construction on the title page. His mom and dad "let him park his spaceship in the backyard." When Niko, his dog, Tag, and his co-pilot, Radar (whose robot expressions vary from worried to happy/worried), spot a "lost cat" poster, they blast off to search the moon for the missing feline. But this heroic account has a glitchNiko's sister, Posh (who "lives on Planet Home, too"), stows away. The third-person narrative adds to the humor, as Niko's voice breaks through to declareerroneouslyabout Posh: "she is not in this story." Neubecker's illustration shows Niko's enormous hands in the foreground, trying to block readers' views of Posh. While Niko and crew search the cratered surface (where a tiny moon creature peers from the edge of the page), Posh strategically deploys Tag's treats, and readers may anticipate what happens. Eight brief chapters nicely pace the action: "To the Moon!"; "Lost Sister"; "Home in Time for Dinner." Neubecker's solid lines and bright colors channel comic-book art, with multiple frames carrying the narrative on several pages. The themes of imaginary play and sibling rivalry provide good-natured support for a lighthearted, easy-to-read adventure. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
