PLUTO ROCKET

Rocket into new adventures with a kindly extraterrestrial and a streetwise pigeon.

Pluto Rocket, a magenta antennaed creature who only recently landed on Earth but who’s happily taken to the planet with guidance from self-assured Joe Pidge, has a great idea. Today, the two will venture to a different neighborhood as Pluto attempts to fulfill a secret mission: proving that Earthlings are nice. The usually cocksure Joe Pidge is uncertain, but he gamely faces his fears of the unknown. Having apparently gotten all his information from nursery rhymes, Joe’s convinced that the local candy shop is in fact owned by an evil witch and that a nearby bridge conceals a nasty troll. But the pair swiftly realize that these community members are generous and helpful. As they continue exploring, Joe’s self-serving perspective conflicts with Pluto’s more altruistic point of view. When Joe finally performs a good deed at Pluto’s urging, he discovers how rewarding helping can be—especially when it comes with plenty of adulation. But amid all the attention, Pluto’s mission is compromised. Lovable friends, lots of action and humor, a quirky but generally low-stakes plot, easy-to-read layouts, and bright, blocky graphics are a formula for a winning read. The interplay between the naïvely optimistic Pluto and the more cynical Joe is a delight.

By turns goodhearted and goofy—and always entertaining.