Author: Jon Scieszka
Genre: sci-fi/humor
Similar books: Willy Makit in Space by Greg Trine
Space Penguins Galaxy Race by Lucy Courtenay
Rating:
 |
| kinda cute |
Summary (provided by publisher): It’s happening—the end of the world is upon us. It’s time to look elsewhere to find a new home.
Enter the AstroNuts! Narrated by Planet Earth, this book is about four hybrid animals—LaserShark, AstroWolf, SmartHawk, and StinkBug—created by NNASA (Not-NASA) to explore other planets. The criteria:
1. Must be unoccupied.
2. Must support human life.
When the Nuts reach their first destination, The Plant Planet, it looks perfect. It’s lush with plant life, full of natural food, and seemingly uninhabited. But what if that plant life can think for itself? And what if it thinks it doesn’t like our Nuts?
My opinion: Scieszka was probably my introduction to absurdist humor early in my reading career so I've made it a point to read his books ever since. This one certainly has a solid base. We have these crazy animal astronauts, each with a central personality trait and a central flaw. The plot construction is simple and fairly predictable. This simplicity is not outweighed by the humor. I also found the message fairly heavy handed. Don't get me wrong - climate change is a serious probably. I didn't love being scolded by the planet in the narrative, though. Not only is it preachy, it takes the form of an intrusive narrator, detracting from the plot.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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