(NOTE: I was given a copy of these books but all opinions are my own.)
Before I get into the meat of what I want to say, I need to share a backstory.
Remember COVID? The pandemic that shut the whole world down? For 14 months?
During that time, author Mac Barnett did a daily read-aloud on Instagram of his published children’s books.
Then he had a brilliant idea. He asked his childhood friend, artist Shawn Harris, to help him make a ‘live cartoon.’ (Mac and Shawn made up that term.) A live cartoon would have Shawn moving his camera over his artwork while they read the cartoon out loud. (Adding a voice to a cartoon made it ‘live.’)
So Shawn did. And they did.
Making the cartoon wore. Them. Out. They didn’t plan on making any more.
But.
People started commenting on Instagram that they couldn’t wait to see the the next episode.
So what were they to do?
Why make more episodes!
Over the next three months, they produced 12 more epispdes. Each Saturday when their live cartoon was posted on Instagram, tens of thousands of kids around the world watched. An editor from HarperCollins also happened to be watching.
Wouldn’t you know it but she asked them if they wanted to turn their live cartoon into a book. How could they say no to that? Thus, The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza was born.
In this story, scientists on earth made a horrible discovery. Rats were eating the moon. Gasp. (After all, the moon is made of cheese . . . ) What to do? Oh, what to do?
Everyone knows that cats eat rats. The scientists decided to send a cat (with a brain enhanced by microchips and wearing a cybernetic biotechnology enhanced spacesuit) on a rocket to the moon. The cat’s goal: eat all of those dastardly rats.
What follows is a tale of derring-do. One with a cat that was the first cat ever to land on the moon. One with a Moon Queen who lived in the Land of Cheerfulness. One where a brave queen had to leave her kingdom and go to the dark side of the moon. (Oh no! Not the dark side of the moon!) One with a toenail clipping robot named LOZ 4000 — just call him LOZ. (Yes, you read that right. A robot whose only function was clipping toenails.)
There’s also a golden moon chair, The Land of Frost, the Man on the Moon, Peninsula of Thunder, some Sea Salts, a rat trap, and Space Pirates.
Speaking of those Space Pirates. Captain Baby Beard’s ship is called the Baby’s Breath. (Are you familiar with the plant called baby’s breath? So pun-y to have that be the name of his ship!)
The intrepid gang of soon-to-be-rat-slayers had to answer the riddle of the sphinx, figure out how to get out of The Pit, gain entrance to the Rat King’s fortress, and win the final showdown.
And how did they overcome the Rat King and his ratty minions? I don’t want to spoil the end for you but it has something to do with the space cat and a big hairball. (Ewww!)
In the end, The First Cat gets to eat a piece of pizza. Huzzah!
What a fun, fun book.
My grandkids loved this book! (I think yours will, too.)
Now. On to The First Cat in Space and the Soup of Doom.
The Moon Queen has been poisoned. Oh no! (I hate it when that happens . . . ) Who did this despicable deed? Who can the Moon Queen trust? Who will help find the antidote?
Where is the Queen’s trusty toenail clipping robot when she needs him?
The only person she trusts is First Cat. They alone can find the antidote. However, the Queen sends out her swan to seek out the robot to ask him for help. (Unbeknown to her, LOZ — the toenail clipping robot from the first book — has learned that the Queen was poisoned and has set out to find and help her.)
The Queen and First Cat make their way through The Rib Cage to The Land of Heat where nothing survives the heat of the noonday sun. Suddenly, they are held up by the Bunco Boys, a bunch of villainous cowboys from the first book. (Have you ever played the game of Bunco?)
A mysterious stranger (the rocket ship’s computer from the first book) rescues them. Phew!
LOZ seeks Dr. Lollipop’a help. A Wizard tests the poisoned soup and discovered it will turn The Queen into glass 24 hours after she ingested it. That means she only has 19 hours to go before glassification. (Is that a word?)
And the cure? Eat a bite of a golden glumpfoozle.
Vicious flying eyeballs attack Fist Cat and The Moon Queen. (They escape unscathed.) They reach The Land of Heat, are betrayed by the Bunco Boys, and barely make it to The Bottomless Crater where golden glumpfoozles grow.
When all seems lost, LOZ (the toenail clipping robot) saves the day. Yippee!
My grandkids loved this book, too!
These books are clever and humorous. I love where it says stuff like ‘Oh my grammy’s meatloaf’ — and like the pictures below.
And the computer has to defrag its hard drive. Your grandkids probably don’t have a clue what that’s all about. (Do you?) I’ve been there. Done that.
The books are full of adventure, silliness, ingenious plot lines, and great artwork. I highly recommend them.
Now. Another back story.
My grandkids watched these live cartoons back in 2020. My granddaughter joined the fan club. She got a membership card. AND! She became virtual friends with Mac and Shawn.
Her mother (my daughter-in-law) works for a local brick-and-mortar bookstore. When The First Cat in Space At Pizza came out, the publishers sent Mac and Shawn on a book tour. Because of my granddaughter’s friendship with them, my daughter-in-law was able to get them to come to our town during their book tour. Wahoo!
Their presentation was in the newly built library to a sold-out audience. Their presentation was exquisite — and hilarious!
Shawn Harris played his guitar and sang.
To top it off, my grandkids got their picture taken with Mac and Shawn. Priceless. (How many of YOU have had your picture taken with a famous author, huh?)
A good time was had by all.
So listen up all you grandmas — and anybody else reading this. There are several things that are IMPERATIVE that you must do. Yes, imperative!
First, skedaddle on over to their website to listen to the soundtracks for the books. (Listen to songs like Dance Like a Rock, Let’s Eat Pizza, Home on the Moon, Space is No Place for a Cat, Concerto for Gameboy.)
Next, encourage your grandkids to join their fan club. What kid can resist the delightful certificate and membership card?
Also, check out their live cartoons — the ones they posted on Instagram.
Then, consider purchasing a t-shirt or poster or hat or a set of pencils (or other cool stuff) to give as a birthday or Christmas present to your grandkiddos. (Or, you could just give what you buy to your grandkids for no other reason than you’re such a wonderful grandma!)
Go to Amazon and get copies of The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza and The First Cat in Space and the Soup of Doom. For all of your grandkids — well, all that are 8 to 12 years old anyway. (Those are the ages these books are meant for. I think older kids would enjoy them, too.) Oh. Make sure that YOU read them.
Well, go on! What are you waiting for?
(P.S. A third book is coming out in November I believe. Visit their website to see if Mac and Shawn will be going on tour to promote it. If they are, do everything in your power to take a grandchild to see it!)
