AstroNuts Mission Two: The Water Planet
By Mary Eisenhart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Unlikely superheroes go on zany, funny eco-themed quest.
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What's the Story?
ASTRONUTS MISSION TWO: THE WATER PLANET sends unlikely superheroes AlphaWolf, LaserShark, SmartHawk, and StinkBug off in their spacecraft (aka Thomas Jefferson's nose from Mount Rushmore) on a mission to find a new home for humanity. Because, as narrator Planet Earth keeps pointing out, the current one won't last long at the rate things are going. When they get to their destination, it does seem like it might be their long-sought "Goldilocks" (not too hot, not too cold, just right) planet. And, better yet, the current residents, who are clams, seem really eager to swap it for old, polluted Earth. Perfect, right? AlphaWolf thinks so, but then they've promised him a medal and a monument. As his friends soon discover, things are a bit more complicated than they've been led to believe.
Is It Any Good?
A visit to the planet of the clams unfolds amid wild visuals, slapstick humor, snarky observations from Earth (the narrator), and the best efforts of unlikely superheroes to achieve their mission. And maybe have a little fun with their latest enhancements, like shark fins and duck feet. There's a laugh a minute -- sometimes several -- in AstroNuts Mission Two: The Water Planet, but also a serious message that saving Earth and humanity from the deadly threats of climate change, pollution, and the like is up to all of us.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how AstroNuts Mission Two: The Water Planet uses wacky comedy to deliver a serious message about the perils of climate change, pollution, and other threats to life as we know it on Earth. How do different stories raise awareness of the problems and suggest what we might want to do about them? What other examples do you know?
As the narrator comments, "Have you ever noticed that humans have an amazing ability to think they are most right -- exactly when they are most wrong?" Has this ever happened to you? What was going on, and how did it turn out?
Do you and your friends participate in Earth Day activities or other environmental work? What do you do, and what do you like about it?
Book Details
- Author: Jon Scieszka
- Illustrator: Steven Weinberg
- Genre: Graphic Novel
- Topics: Adventures , History , Science and Nature , Space and Aliens
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Chronicle Books
- Publication date: August 25, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 228
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 26, 2021
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