LET'S CATCH A STAR

A space pilot leads a mission to wrangle a star in Monte’s picture book.

Captain Gamma Ray (who has auburn hair and pale pink skin) introduces her copilot, a dog named Muttnik, to the reader, who is positioned as the Starbus Shuttle 7827’s new Cadet. She explains that the quest is for a wishing star and asks the Cadet what they will wish for. The journey is riddled with challenges—first, flying into an asteroid belt sets the shuttle off course. In a sky full of scattered asteroids, the Cadet is asked to help navigate by tracing a line around the rocks to safety. Then, a collision with a comet sends the shuttle and its crew into a loop. Mission Control and a friendly alien craft help when the ship enters a black hole and gets lost before the wishing star is finally within grasp. Nickel’s digital illustrations contrast the bright red space shuttle with the deep blue and black starry sky and work with Captain Gamma Ray’s narration to engage reader participation. The prose is at times almost video game-like in the way the narrator addresses the reader/Cadet directly for help in completing the mission (“Cadet, point to the star you like the most”). If the activity element of the book doesn’t excite young readers, Muttnik’s responsible piloting of a space shuttle surely will.

A fun and engaging approach to problem-solving in deep space.