Waffles and Pancakes: Planetary-Yum (A CatStronauts Kitten Adventure) by Drew Brockington, 64 pp, RL 2

 

Waffles and Pancakes: Planetary-Yum 
A CatStronauts Kitten Adventure
Review Copy


Drew Brockington launched his fantastic CatStronauts series in 2017, and in 2018 I reviewed the first four books in the series, which were hugely popular with kids at the elementary school where I was the librarian. Brockington's hilarious graphic novels stand out for the portrayal of space travel, the preparation that goes into a launch from Earth into orbit and even a bit of NASA history. To all this, Brockington adds sassy (and hungry) cats and fantastic cat puns administered in just the right doses. This first Kitten Adventure travels back in time to features everyone's favorite, Waffles, along with sister Pancake, in their youth. As with CatStronauts, Brockington's blend of science and humor, along with a dash of smart safety protocols for kittens (and kids) pairs perfectly with his chunky illustrations style and exaggerated, exuberant and humorous expressions on the cute kitty faces. 

It's Saturday and Dad-cat wants to take Waffles and Pancake to the science museum before taking them to Mom-cat's. The trio spends the day wandering exhibits like Electricity Alley, the Hall of Planets, the Planetarium and the especially upsetting "Hairballs in 4-D!" Brockington's blue toned, full-page map of the museum serves as a header for all five chapters and, with each chapter, a red dotted line grows, spiraling through the museum, letting readers see the path the family takes. As they explore, the kittens learn how to spot various constellations, get to hear Dad-cat reminisce about staying up late to see Neil Pawstrong become the first cat to "put a paw on the moon," and learn the difference between meteroids, meteors and meteorites. They even do the right thing when they find themselves separated from Dad-cat.

If you read any of the CatStronauts books, then you know that Waffles is never far from food, and, of course, kitten Waffles is the same! Waffles and Pancake "nom nom nom" their way through breakfast and lunch in Planetary-Yum (tuna melts, milk and Pancake's favorite, Star Tots!), ending with cries for dinner at Mom-cat's. Driving to Mom-cat's, Dad-cat asks Waffles and Pancake what their favorite part of their day at the museum was and both answer LUNCH. A bit disappointed, Dad-cat is happy to see that, as they get out of the car at Mom-cat's house and look up at the night sky, Waffles and Pancake name the constellations they see while talking about looking for meteorites in the morning.

I love everything about the CatStronauts series and am so thrilled the Brockington is giving emerging readers the chance to get to know Waffles and Pancake before graduating to the CatStronauts series. I can't wait to see what these siblings get up to next!

The stellar CatStronauts Series!

Get your plushie Waffles HERE!




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