Saving the Spooniverse one bark at a time...: Space Dog by Mini Grey

HI there!

Welcome back to another exciting edition of Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

As the Halloween holiday continues its fast approach, we press forward with our themed reads perfect for whiling away a blustery afternoon.  Today's selected title may not seem like an instant match but bear with me because I'm seriously seeing the potential for bookish costumes here for both the little ones AND the fur babies...and I mean ALL the fur babies, from the big to the small.  Don't believe me?  Well then, let's get to proving it shall we?  Coming in for a landing is today's book of choice...

Space Dog

by

Mini Grey

9780553510584

Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

Bark date...October 21st, 2015.

Time...something o'clock in the AM or PM.

Place...SPACE.

Destination...Home Planet, or at least it WAS.

Space Dog was a canine of the first class.  Tried and true, he wasn't a dog to leave a man down...or anyone else for that matter.  Having made his rounds of the galaxy saving this planet, rescuing that race, and introducing himself to a Spaghetti Entity, he was ready to head home once again.  After all, life is space is nice but it can get lonely being a crew of one.  Little did he know that soon his numbers would be multiplied by THREE and that the "sworn enemy" would become his newest friends.

This read was highly addictive, much like milk with cereal or ketchup on your fries.  Okay, well not on MY fries, I'm actually not a ketchup-on-fries kinda girl, but you get the point.  Once you open the cover, the exploration and adventure begins, starting with Space Dog's Official Spacemap and continuing through a glimpse at the Spaceforce Official Training Handbook.  In between, we get to travel the galaxy, rescue fellow astronauts and discover that though we might be told one thing, it's best for us to truly decide how we feel.  Take Space Dog versus the Astrocat.  When push came to shove, Space Dog wasn't thinking that this was his sworn enemy nor did he even consider NOT helping him out.  Indeed, the first thing on his mind was MUST SAVE HIM...to which his four paws responded post haste.  A few lightyears away, yet another galactic disaster occurs, placing a Moustronaut in peril but never fear, the newly formed duo is here to save the day...and make a new friend.  That to me is the best part of all.  Showing the power of acceptance, of inclusion to the next generation can only spark the togetherness we need to help bring us all one step closer to truly understanding one another.

Overall, it may sound cliche but I would say this read was out of this world.  The story was both humorous and sweet, with the unexpected message of inclusion and acceptance for one and all.  The illustrations were top notch and kept the tale moving nicely, adding yet another layer of enjoyment and extending the reach of the story to even the wee ones.  A great balance, if I do say so myself, and a must read for your wish list.  Oh and back to the costume thing....can't you just see your fur babies dressed as astronauts or your kiddos dressed the same but with puppy ears or a cat tail? Come on!  It'd be adorable and one of a kind!

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About the author...

MINI GREY is the creator of the Boston Globe–Horn Book award-winning picture book Traction Man Is Here!, as well as Traction Man Meets TurboDog and Traction Man and the Beach Odyssey. Her brilliant, quirky humor can also be seen in Toys in Space, Hermelin the Detective Mouse, Three by the Sea, The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon, and Ginger Bear. Mini’s books have received 23 starred reviews. She is a former elementary school teacher. Visit her at MiniGrey.com

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Special thanks to Cassie at Random House Children's Books for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is set to release October 27th, 2015, via Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!