For the second book in their Quinnelope series, Quinnelope and the Mystery of the Missing Moon, HF Brownfield and Kayla Coombs (Quinnelope and the Cookie King Catastrophe) send their pink blob hero and her pals Star, Bub, and Pish into space in search of their planet's missing moon. They meet a plethora of zany characters and encounter the inconceivable along the way, making their celestial adventure a foray into silliness and fun.
When Quinnelope discovers that Planet Quearth's moon has left its orbit, she alerts her confidants, packs her supplies in her crown, and they all set off in a deluxe space RV. They must find their moon--if they don't, what will happen to "ghost stories and camp fires and beauty sleep?" The voyagers make their way through town and then launch onto space highway Route 77 through an automated car wash. Quinnelope, despite having no driving experience, assures her passengers they are just fine: "I can handle this... because I have a secret weapon... Manners." The team of cosmic sleuths encounter a meteor family, go bowling with farting spikey blokes, ask for directions at the Glitterglorb, and experience "spaghettification" as they squeeze into a black hole. Meanwhile, Star produces an intergalactic radio show that chronicles their extraordinary encounters in the wilds of space.
Brownfield and Coombs's protagonists are whacky and endearing. Star, "the only star in the universe who shoots rainbows out of their gluteus maximus," Bub, a level-headed, "responsible panda butler" who keeps the team stocked with snacks, and Pish, a talking purple goldfish, complement Quinnelope's larger-than-life personality. Some allusions will likely be lost on the target audience (Chapter Five is titled "Fly Me to the Moon"; comets yell "Ice, ice, baby") but the madcap humor should still be a big hit with middle-grade readers.
The graphic novel's colorful comic-style illustrations are bold, striking, and filled with exaggerated cuteness: Star, Bub, and Quinnelope all have massive, adorable eyes and soft, rounded features. Brownfield and Coombs use panels of all shapes and full-page bleeds to keep the visual story dynamic; the dialogue is all black lettering in white speech bubbles, enhancing accessibility. For any budding artists, Brownfield and Combs provide bonus content that includes instructions for drawing the book's characters.
No matter what planet the audience is on, they are likely to find Quinnelope and the Mystery of the Missing Moon packed full of quirky, far-out escapades that make for a humorously enjoyable read. --Jen Forbus, freelancer
Shelf Talker: A team of eccentric sleuths set out to find their missing moon in a wild, cosmic adventure for middle-grade comic fans.