Moby Duck

Cryptid Kids #2

by Sara Goetter, Natalie Riess

Dive into the latest adventure with Penny and friends in their hunt for the elusive 'Moby Duck'! Mysteries, monsters and valuable lessons abound in this new middle grade graphic novel from the fantastic duo behind Dungeon Critters.

A year after Penny, K, and Luc rescued the Bawk-Ness Monster and a submarine full of cryptids from the nefarious Alvida Scales, they’ve reunited for what’s supposed to be a low-key trip to the seashore with K’s dad. K has big plans to follow in her great-aunt’s cryptid-hunting footsteps and track down the mysterious Moby Duck with her two best friends in tow, but there are a couple big problems with this plan! First of all, Penny’s also bringing a stranger along – a kid named “Jo” who likes anime and video games and other things that K thinks are super boring. And if that wasn’t bad enough, because of everything that went wrong on their last big trip together, K is forbidden from cryptid hunting of any kind! It’s a disaster all around!

Will K be able to salvage her big chance at finding Moby Duck? Maybe! Will she and her friends once again be kidnapped by a villainous member of the Scales family? Probably! Will aliens somehow be involved as they track down dangerous cryptids of the sea? Gosh, wouldn’t that be crazy?

Genres: Middle Grade, Graphic Novels, Humor, Childrens, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Comics

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 2025

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mom and Charlie Book

[Cathlina Bergman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, okay. Mutant duck-whales, aliens, and karaoke. :)

[Julie Wakefield · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun continuation of the adventure. Thank you NetGalley and First Second.

I know this was the 2nd in the series and I feel I was missing some of the story, having not read the first one. So, I strongly suggest reading the first one first. There are clear relationships established and built on from the first.

However, a true adventure of the imagination for those who dare to explore!

[Julia Pika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley & First Second for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

An excellent, light-hearted, and fun sequel! Continues the madness and chaos of the first one but also having the characters bond and expand further. Very sweet series I'm excited for kids to explore!

[MoonlightCupOfCocoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and First Second Books for the advance copy! As always, all opinions shared below are 100% my own.

I originally came across the Cryptid Kids series while searching for a fun comic series to share with my nephews and nieces. The first book in the series, Bawk-ness Monster, was absolutely adorable so I was looking forward to this new entry.

It absolutely delivered the same charm and fun from the first book. The gang is back together along with some new faces. Just like the first book, the kids are surprisingly relateable. The adults are far from side chararacters or useless. While the story is action-packed, it still gives emotions and valuable lessons to take their time without sacrificing pacing.

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The art is still just as beautiful as the first book. And while I feel we didn't get as much bonding with the Moby Duck (Bessie is still the best Cryptid), the villain arc makes up for it. I adored their rival/villain here.

All in all, this is an excellent sequel. As an adult, I enjoyed it a lot and I know kids will, too.

[thestarsue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel was fabulously created! I love the fact that the characters were preserved and that the story essentially picks up where the first issue left off! A new character was introduced in such a smooth and seamless way that added heavily to the story. I also love how Moby Duck was introduced and the way Moby Duck’s role in the story differed from The Bawkness Monster’s role in the first issue. All the details of the story are so carefully thought out and so well represented through the art style. As usual, I love all the other cryptids, too! They are adorable!!!!
I love this issue of Cryptid Kids more than the first one; I feel like the first one did a great job setting the scene and introducing the characters and the concept of cryptids, but now that we have an idea of who’s who, it got so much more exciting and was able to get to me way more. I’d say Moby Duck completely outdid The Bawkness Monster which is great because a lot of books suffer sequel-itis. I’m relieved.
The books are SO CUTE and I hope deeply that the series continues!!!!!!! This is way too good to stop here!!! Amazing job to Sara Goetter and Natalie Riess!

[pineapple tofu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It’s time for another adventure for K and her friends, and all their cryptid finds. When the kids plan a summer vacation, K is warned not to spend their time saving creatures of any kind. But, K wants to be like her Great Aunt, who’s a cryptid saver, even to her father’s dismay and warnings. Yet, a simple summer vacation turns deadly when Dr. Alvida shows up determined to capture Moby Duck, alongside aliens who think they’re smarter, and drama among friends. Can K fix everything before the parents find out about the change of plans?
Just as fun and hilarious as the first volume, K and her friends want to save Moby Duck, but the meddling Dr Alvida somehow gets in the way once more. Color splashes on every page mark this unique graphic novel full of creatures, monsters, and cryptids. With a little game that’s similar to D&D, a quiet moth man ghost, and karaoke tunes, this second adventure of the Cryptid Kids is sure to delight.

[Ariel K · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, thank you Net Galley and First Second Books for allowing me to read this ARC of Cryptid Kids: Moby Duck.

The second I started reading the first few pages I knew this book would be an instant hit with my age group. The storytelling and art of each of the kids/characters were so well done! It was sort of reminiscent to the tvshow Gravity Falls (or old school Scooby Doo fans); which was a huge show that is still popular with my students as of last year. Cryptids are also super popular, and the way the book is written as a graphic novel makes it more accessible for kids who struggle with reading. I even let my 10 yr old read this after me and he really enjoyed the scenes with Moby Duck and the aliens.

I think any kid that loves fun graphic novels about pirates, cryptids, zany group of kids/parents, then they’ll love this!

[Jester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lately, I've been reading a lot of works from the two creators of this story, and I've enjoyed all of them!

In this sequel to Cryptic Kids, the kids—along with a new member—get together for a new trip by the seashore supervised by K's dad, Terry.

This book mostly focuses on K as the main character, though the other kids get to shine too. I loved the new member and that he didn't feud with Penny's old friends.

A comment about the cryptid Moby Duck. How can a creature look nonthreatening and threatening at the same time? But I liked the design.

Finally, this was another great and fun read from the creators.

Note: Using new rating system starting 2025.

[Eliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moby Duck
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

I enjoyed this! I think this helped to expand on the characters from the first one pretty well, alongside adding in some new characters. There were parts that definitely mirrored the first one, but it still stood on its own well. There were a lot of different moving plot-points, but I think that everything wrapped up well and I never felt confused or overwhelmed. I will definitely be continuing the series. :)

[Xanthe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a ridiculous delight from beginning to end. All the characters' faces are amazing and the energy fairly zaps off the page. I really just wanted to read the third one immediately after finishing this one. (When???) But this has so many excellent friendship and family dynamics, incredibly silly cryptid combos, and just so many shenanigan, plus solid queer representation. But mostly it is FUN.

[Sage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book in the series was definitely not a disappointment. A wild ride, but incredibly funny and wholesome. I appreciated the growth of the main characters and the unexpected plot twists! Wanted more of Moby Duck, but that's okay. Will be looking forward to continuing the series when the third book comes out :)

[Amanda Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun little graphic novel about cryptids you've never heard of, family, friendship, and growing up. I had hoped to see a little more growth from T.K., but I guess we'll just have to wait her out. The characters are very relatable. I expect kids of all kinds will appreciate this story.

[Matt Glaviano · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book in this series worked better for me. Maybe it was more cryptid focussed? Like the lens of this one is pulled too far out with new characters (and aliens) for there to be a lot of cryptid time? Good enough book, but it didn't do a lot for me.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need Mothmanta Ray to be my new best friend

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

High-energy and fun. I'm already looking forward to the next one.

ARC from Netgalley.

[Lo Wayward Tomes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this has maybe gotten a little too silly for me at this point.

[D.T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is still really fun. It's such a smooth transition from the first book to this. We also get a new character to the cast. I'm down for more books!

[HaileyAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun volume. This series fills the Lumberjanes shaped hole in my heart and I want more.

[Simon Says Hellooo · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are so fun! I can't wait to read the next cryptid caper! The main characters are likeable and fun. This new adventure takes us to new destinations! If you like a fun cryptid story you'll love this one.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this book! The opinions are my own.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot going on and going wrong. K is a high strung kid being put through an intense situation with very little time to think or regroup.

I think this second offering fell into the trap of feeling the need to raise the stakes. The first adventure already had danger, mayhem, and derring-do. But there were quiet times, moments to pause, moments of humor in between all the running around and being brave. This book needs more quiet moments to balance out the pacing.

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