There's Nothing to Do on Mars

Kids who love everything about space would love to be in Davey's shoes, of course, but Davey's not that excited -- which is the subtle humor here. Davey, despite being in an intergalactic family helping to settle Mars, is bored. His parents do what parents everywhere do: tell him to go outside and find something to do. So off Davey trots with his mechanical dog, Polaris, to find adventure on the dusty red planet.

Not subtle at all is the artistry; stand-out color-saturated tributes to style and design. From the family's Airstream rocketship to Davey's Chuck Taylors, the retro-minded story manages to be gorgeous enough to almost lift the hum-drum story. The keyword there is "almost." Despite aliens, giant fish skeletons, and a sudden flood, kids may be bored along with Davey. More style than substance makes this a hard sell to kids who want a good story and to the parents who have to read the book out loud.