JOEY AND JET IN SPACE

Joey and Jet’s previous adventure was a clever way to teach young children about prepositions. This time the point is more subtle. Joey and his dog Jet are outside exploring space together—at least, until Jet sees his bone and takes off. Joey calls Jet. He searches for him. And he asks everyone he meets if they have seen his dog. Finally, he hears the familiar squeak of Jet’s bone, along with a voice calling them both back to earth for lunch. While the text is minimal, it’s the illustrations that deliver the message to young listeners. Yang’s textured artwork introduces them to a unique outer space, which includes aliens, robots and many interesting forms of transportation and housing. Retro colors and geometric shapes add to the space feel of the pictures. It is not until the last spread that readers will realize that Joey and Jet are cleverly imagining their adventure using props found at home: a badminton birdie, a shovel, the vacuum, a hose, some balls and a lawn sprinkler. A subtle, and much-needed, push for imaginative play. (Picture book. 2-5)