The Plant Planet (AstroNuts #1)

Scieszka (the Frank Einstein series) and Weinberg (Fred & The Lumberjack) begin a new middle grade series with this tale of ecological stewardship and teamwork centered on the search for a Goldilocks planet: neither too hot nor too cold, and able to sustain human life. As Earth narrates, the dapper AstroWolf leads a team to the Plant Planet. The mission's engineered, untested animal astronauts include four hybrids: AstroWolf, ultra-organized SmartHawk, nurturing (and electromagnetic) LaserShark, and odiferous StinkBug, all members of NNASA (Not the National Aeronautics and Space Administration). After taking off from their Mt. Rushmore headquarters in a Thomas Jefferson Nose Rocket and making a crash-landing, the team quickly finds that while the lush, lovely Plant Planet is filled with food and the underpinnings of shelter, it seems to be missing a vital component. Alongside trademark Scieszka humor and vivid digital collage by Weinberg, which features engravings from the collection of Amsterdam's Rijkmuseum, the vital environmental message and the vibrantly imagined, quirky characters will garner hefty enthusiasm for future installments. Ages 8-12. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Sept.)

Here is a wacky tale, heavy with glossy pages of vibrant graphics, that will appeal to "Captain Underpants" and "Geronimo Stilton" devotees. Overrun with pollution, Earth's atmosphere reaches uninhabitable levels, forcing NNASA (Not the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) to deploy four mutated animal astronauts (misspelled in transmission as "AstroNuts"). The animals were superpowered with scientific talents to find an ideal planet for relocating humanity. AlphaWolf is the boss, deployed to find intelligent life; SmartHawk is tasked with inspecting the new planets' climates and ecosystems; LaserShark must search for delicious food; and StinkBug seeks shelter. Readers will cheer for these (mostly) heroic and aptly named nuts as they haphazardly explore a seemingly perfect plant planet. VERDICT This first in a new sci-fi series checks key boxes: it is funny, full of nonstop action, and jammed with plenty of science factoids.—Tara Kehoe, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, NC

"Jon Scieszka, the groundbreaking storyteller and master of wit, brings us a smart and hilarious adventure. AstroNuts doesn't just break new ground-it breaks outer space! Brilliant." — Dav Pilkey, bestselling author of the Dog Man and Captain Underpants series.