Common Sense Media Review
By Darienne Stewart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Breathlessly busy space adventure is giddy fun.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
COSMOE'S WIENER GETAWAY introduces Earth-born Cosmoe and his best friend, an ex-space pirate named Humphree, who like to spend their days slinging hot dogs from the flying food truck and playing video games. But the theft of their cook-off entry kick-starts a series of adventures involving an evil princess who wants to be good, her relentlessly evil mom, zombie space pirates, ruthless treasure hunters, enormous monsters, and a puzzle map that could unlock the ultimate evil in the universe. It's more adventure than Cosmoe bargained for, but he's up for the challenge -- with help from Goober, an elastic blob that lives on his wrist.
Is It Any Good?
This zany space adventure blasts off at high speed and doesn't let up, rocketing around a fantastical universe filled with space worms, zombie pirates, and malevolent bounty hunters. All that action can be a bit much, however, and some young readers will have a hard time getting their bearings as the story rushes along.
Despite being the first book in the Galactic Hot Dogs series, Cosmoe's Wiener Getaway skips any backstory -- there's no explanation for how Cosmoe came to have a gelatinous blob living on his arm or to pilot a hot dog truck, and neither of these quirky elements seems essential to Max Brallier's snappy story. Illustrators Rachel Maguire and Nichole Kelley bring the crackling energy of animation and video game design to the illustrations. Like the text, the visuals are so overstuffed they're sometimes confusing. Daffy humor and a great message about being a good person keep this from skidding into deep space.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the appeal of graphic novels such as Cosmoe's Wiener Getaway. Do you prefer ones that are text-driven or illustration-driven?
Cosmoe accidentally broadcasts something across space and gets ridiculed on social media. Have you ever had to deal with such a public mistake?
Princess Dagger is trying to become a nicer person, with help from Cosmoe. Have you ever tried to banish a bad habit or behavior? Were you successful?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrators : Rachel Maguire , Nichole Kelley
- Genre : Graphic Novel
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Aladdin
- Publication date : May 3, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 304
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate