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Space Dog
Meet Space Dog, Astrocat, and Mousetronaut in this hilarious adventure about teamwork and unexpected friendship from the award-winning creator of Traction Man. Space Dog is zooming through Cake Space on the SS Kennel when he receives the first of many distress calls from the vast Spooniverse. Can he rescue the Cereal People, plug up the Ketchup Volcanoes, and defeat the Cheese Ants? All on his own? He might need some help. But Space Dogs, Astrocats, and Mousetronauts have always been sworn enemies! Can they put aside their differences to save the Spooniverse? This hilarious offering from the award-winning Mini Grey is a non-stop adventure, a celebration of imaginative play, and a triumphant story in which sworn enemies become . . . sworn friends!
40 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 9, 2014
About the author
Mini Grey
35 books56 followersMini Grey was given her name after being born in a Mini in a car park in Newport, Wales. She studied for an MA in Sequential Illustration at Brighton under the tutelage of John Vernon Lord. Mini also worked as a primary school teacher in Oxford, where she now lives. Her books includeEgg Drop, The Pea and the Princess (shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal), Biscuit Bear(winner of the Nestlé Children's Book Prize Gold Award), Traction Man is Here (winner of the Boston Horn Book Award and shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal), The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon (winner of the Nestlé Children's Book Prize Bronze Award and winner of the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal), and Traction Man meets Turbodog. Mini Grey is one of the Big Picture's ten Best New Illustrators. (source: https://www.penguin.co.uk/puffin/auth...)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
May 7, 2016
Mini Grey is one of our favorite kids' authors and artists, and she nails it with this very British scifi picture book. The style is vintage radio drama, the protagonists are cute animals, and the message is inter-species harmony. What more could you need? Once you've read the story, double back and look closely at the newspaper backgrounds in the introduction to our characters - and don't miss the end papers, of course.
If you haven't read her other books Toys in Space and the Traction Man Is Here! series, you should read them as well!
If you haven't read her other books Toys in Space and the Traction Man Is Here! series, you should read them as well!
April 16, 2019
Fun adventure story about making friends across traditional enemy lines — dog, cat and mouse.
October 14, 2021
I think kids would absolutely adore this book. It's got the right balance of cheesiness, known variables, and wacky mix-ups that appeal to young minds.
I smiled ruefully a lot as I read it.
The art is a bit crowded and so difficult to process, but I think that's a feature, not a bug. This book calls to mind all the fantasies children of the 80s and 90s came up with as they sat across from their breakfast cereal boxes. The frenetic jumping around makes sense, it comes from the imagination of the comic book generation. In some ways, I think this book is marketed more to the parents than to the kids.
All the same, although kids would like this book and it would be good training on how to read a graphic novel, I wasn't thrilled. It was a very superficial story and had no surprise twist, everything zoomed along at an extremely predictable clip. I like a little bit more thought in my stories, and the 'everybody gets along in the end because all our differences mean nothing!' schtick gets on my nerves when the differences aren't even explored. I think 'Dear Dragon' does a much better job of teaching the same thing in a far more engaging and interesting way.
Story: Narrative-Frenetic
Art: Jumpy
Price: $17.99
I smiled ruefully a lot as I read it.
The art is a bit crowded and so difficult to process, but I think that's a feature, not a bug. This book calls to mind all the fantasies children of the 80s and 90s came up with as they sat across from their breakfast cereal boxes. The frenetic jumping around makes sense, it comes from the imagination of the comic book generation. In some ways, I think this book is marketed more to the parents than to the kids.
All the same, although kids would like this book and it would be good training on how to read a graphic novel, I wasn't thrilled. It was a very superficial story and had no surprise twist, everything zoomed along at an extremely predictable clip. I like a little bit more thought in my stories, and the 'everybody gets along in the end because all our differences mean nothing!' schtick gets on my nerves when the differences aren't even explored. I think 'Dear Dragon' does a much better job of teaching the same thing in a far more engaging and interesting way.
Story: Narrative-Frenetic
Art: Jumpy
Price: $17.99
October 10, 2019
I think this book would be a great addition to the classroom when teaching the Year 4 topic of Space. This book is filled with some great puns, that I’m sure many children will find hilarious. As this book is quite detailed I would recommend for KS2 children to either read it individually and share with others or read as part of a group- shared reading activity, possibly a reading carousel featuring other books, following the space theme.
November 27, 2024
I don't usually add picture books to my goodreads but, when I do, it's because it has a message worth spreading.
March 20, 2015
Mini grey is one of my favourite children’s writer/illustrators of recent times. Her last book HERMELIN was nigh on perfection but this somehow is even better. The great thing about children’s fiction is that you can get away with high levels of absurdism. And this has it in joyful bucketloads. From cereal planets suffering from a milk drought to sausage and bacon people being terrorised by ketchup volcanoes. It also has a fun message about friendship which just makes this THE perfect read. Highly highly recommended for children of all ages and adults too
November 29, 2019
I found this book confusing to read because of the layout. I found there was lots going on at once with so many speech bubbles, different fonts of text and text boxes scattered around. A very creative concept of the story though.
August 1, 2019
Updated rating!
October 24, 2017
This book shows a cat, dog and mouse all flying around space visiting different planets which are in need of help. The story starts with Space Dog who is on a mission but finds himself lonely on the spaceship with the same food and playing Dogopoly on his own.
On their home planet, dogs, mice and cats are all sworn enemies but due to various disasters which occur along their journeys, the three astronauts end up together saving one another. Their last mission involved saving the mouse from the cheese planet and working together to get away from the Queen of Cheese Ants. From this they learnt that they had no reason to be enemies and that working together allowed them to get more work done and they also had more fun on the spaceship as a team eating better food and playing Dogopoly.
I enjoyed this book as it would show children that just because the societies norm says the animals should hate each other in reality they have no reason to and they prove this by saving one another and working together they had more fun than when they were working independently.
The way it has been written and illustrated is perfect for children as the ideas are so imaginative and each planet has its own set of ideas fitting to the particular planet.
The only negative thing I have to say about this book is that it is perhaps a bit longer than it needed to be.
On their home planet, dogs, mice and cats are all sworn enemies but due to various disasters which occur along their journeys, the three astronauts end up together saving one another. Their last mission involved saving the mouse from the cheese planet and working together to get away from the Queen of Cheese Ants. From this they learnt that they had no reason to be enemies and that working together allowed them to get more work done and they also had more fun on the spaceship as a team eating better food and playing Dogopoly.
I enjoyed this book as it would show children that just because the societies norm says the animals should hate each other in reality they have no reason to and they prove this by saving one another and working together they had more fun than when they were working independently.
The way it has been written and illustrated is perfect for children as the ideas are so imaginative and each planet has its own set of ideas fitting to the particular planet.
The only negative thing I have to say about this book is that it is perhaps a bit longer than it needed to be.
November 18, 2016
Grey, Mini Space Dog, Alfred A Knopf, 2015. $17.99 PICTURE BOOK Content: G
After many exciting adventures blasting across the universe, Space Dog is finally traveling home. Suddenly he gets a distress call from Astrocat who is stuck in a lake of thick cream and sinking fast. Space Dog must help, but everyone knows Space Dogs and Astrocats are sworn enemies! What will happen when these foes are forced to share a spaceship together?
This book is a hilarious quirky delight that all readers, young and old, will enjoy. The illustrations are inspired and the story line is silly and engaging. Young ones will laugh as they learn lessons about friendship and seeing past long held beliefs to find their own truth.
EL (K-3)—ESSENTIAL AEB
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...
After many exciting adventures blasting across the universe, Space Dog is finally traveling home. Suddenly he gets a distress call from Astrocat who is stuck in a lake of thick cream and sinking fast. Space Dog must help, but everyone knows Space Dogs and Astrocats are sworn enemies! What will happen when these foes are forced to share a spaceship together?
This book is a hilarious quirky delight that all readers, young and old, will enjoy. The illustrations are inspired and the story line is silly and engaging. Young ones will laugh as they learn lessons about friendship and seeing past long held beliefs to find their own truth.
EL (K-3)—ESSENTIAL AEB
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...
October 19, 2018
In a Spooniverse where Space Dogs, Mousetronauts, and Astrocats are sworn enemies will they put aside their ingrained prejudices to help each other out? Yes! And along the way they will also visit planets made of cheese, pull giant hair balls out of sink planets, and save the creatures on one planet from their exploding ketchup volcanoes.
My only hangups with the story are 1) the cheese planet explodes with all the cheese ants still on it and the crew doesn’t seem to care?? What happened to the cheese ants??? and 2) instead of returning to their planet to help dismantle the hate and prejudice that makes Space Dogs, Astrocats, and Mousetronauts sworn enemies, the three instead run deeper into space. I would’ve liked if they had tried to go home and share how they could get along despite their history of hate.
My only hangups with the story are 1) the cheese planet explodes with all the cheese ants still on it and the crew doesn’t seem to care?? What happened to the cheese ants??? and 2) instead of returning to their planet to help dismantle the hate and prejudice that makes Space Dogs, Astrocats, and Mousetronauts sworn enemies, the three instead run deeper into space. I would’ve liked if they had tried to go home and share how they could get along despite their history of hate.
October 23, 2017
This book is about a space dog, astrocat and moustronaut who are sworn enemies on their home planet. As they whoosh around the universe space dog saves the astrocat and then they both save the moustronaut. The three realise that it is ok to go against stereotypes and be friends as they get along and a space team is better when you work together.
I enjoyed this book however, I personally feel it may be a bit long.
I enjoyed this book however, I personally feel it may be a bit long.
June 29, 2026
Even as an adult, I still find it difficult not to pick up space-themed picture books, so I just couldn't resist this one. Space Dog is bold and colorful with an art style that I enjoy. The story is full of mini adventures. There's a lot of small text (like labels) and details for young readers to explore on each page. The actual story text is a little chaotic and bounces around the pages a lot, but I don't think kids would mind this very much. Readers learn a valuable lesson about friendship and that areas in space are often named after desserts. I was particularly fond of the Moustronaut's cheese-shaped ship.
June 5, 2019
May 2019 - Ben went through another Traction Man phase, so I put this on hold and boy was it a good idea. He loves the map on the endpapers, all the funny planets, and the adventure. Her books can be a bit tricky to read aloud because there's so much dialogue outside the main text, but they're funny and worth it.
July 3, 2019
This picture book is almost more of a graphic novel - so much of the humor and story comes from the dialog among the characters and not just the narration text. It's too complicated for my preK storytime audience, but elementary age kids would eat this up. Plus, it has a great message of inclusion and strength in diversity.
November 10, 2020
I liked the layout of the book with the different boxes it reminded me of a comic. Space dog is saving those in need and with astrocat and Astromouse they all join together to help save everyone and become friends and do things together.
December 9, 2021
Very funny writing and artwork for both child and parent. A great surprise how genuinely funny it was and would love to read any sequels with my child. Each page is jam packed with art and jokes. Not like many other childrens’ books I’ve read.
June 23, 2017
Sworn enemies Space Dog, Astrocat, and Mousetraut team up to save the Spooniverse. Best for older elementary students, many plays on words; imaginative with a space theme.
January 30, 2019
Space dog saves the day and meets friends on his way.
June 10, 2019
A fantastic lap read, but would be really difficult for a regular storytime.
July 18, 2019
Frenetic book of a dog, a cat, and a mouse in space who doesn’t t get along living in space. How do they get together and make peace?
October 6, 2019
Space travel, puns and friendship - a great combination! I loved this story and would use it as a class read or to tie in to science lessons on space.
June 27, 2020
Cool book. Like the details and story.
About finding friend from enemies and realising you’re not much different and have similar interest
About finding friend from enemies and realising you’re not much different and have similar interest
February 17, 2022
After Space Dog saves Astrocat the two become fast friends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2022
Funny, comic-like picture book with a space dog, an Astro cat and a moustronaut, saving planets and creatures from outer space troubles.
June 5, 2024
So fab. Loved the story and illustrations. We have another on hold already from this author-illustrator!
March 12, 2017
Cartoon-style story set in the future with a dog, cat and mouse saving folks in distress across the universe. Lots of fun! Recommended Gr. 2-5.
September 22, 2020
Mini Grey hails from South Wales, where she was born in the front seat of a Mini car hence her name. Mini is not only a fabulous and trained illustrator but a talented storyteller, too. She often narrates her stories from an unusual point of view, for example, the pea in the Pea and the Princess (2003) and the biscuit in Biscuit Bear (2004). She has illustrated several books for other authors including several for Astrid Lindgren and the famous Pippi Longstocking. Mini’s picture books have a similar style. A large majority of them focus around humour and adventure, such as Traction Man and Hermelin: The Detective Mouse.
This picture book revolves around the superhero, Space Dog. When he isn’t zooming through Cake Space, you’ll find him responding to the distress calls from various places in the humorously named, Spooniverse. It’s a story of adventure and teamwork, with detailed illustrations. It dispels the myth that cats, dogs and mice cannot be friends, too. Space Dog rescues Astrocat even though they are ‘meant to be’ sworn enemies.
I liked that there is considerable humour within the storyline. Grey uses lots of puns throughout, such as ‘The Beagle has Landed’ and ‘Astrocats land on Saturn and rename is Caturn’, Dogopoly instead of Monopoly and so forth. I, also, liked that the text isn’t all one typeface and one size. It makes reading the story more interesting and allows you to add extra expression when reading. I think it captures the reader’s attention, too. There are speech bubbles, thought bubbles and post it notes in the illustrations. I like that there is a lot of onomatopoeia, including whoosh, glug, flurb, glurp (particularly around the illustrations of the ketchup volcanoes!). The illustrations give a lot of added information to supplement the text. For example, although we knew Space Dog was going home, it’s not until he’s sat having his usual dinner that we understand he is heading to Earth due to the picture frames on his wall. We get to know Space Dog quite well from the illustrations; we assume we likes playing board games, he’s excited about going home as there’s a calendar crossed off on his wall. Much of the time the illustrations are the ones narrating the storyline, as they are accompanied by speech bubbles. The language is colloquial and fairly advanced (vocabulary might need to be discussed when reading, such as chasm, fondue, SOS), and the humour might be more appropriate for KS2 children. This would be a wonderful book to read alongside a topic on Space.
My only criticism is I think it is a little long. If you read this aloud at the end of the day you would need a good 30 minutes to read it and talk about it, or perhaps you split it up and you read the first two adventures Space Dog goes on, before reading the final adventure the following day.
This picture book revolves around the superhero, Space Dog. When he isn’t zooming through Cake Space, you’ll find him responding to the distress calls from various places in the humorously named, Spooniverse. It’s a story of adventure and teamwork, with detailed illustrations. It dispels the myth that cats, dogs and mice cannot be friends, too. Space Dog rescues Astrocat even though they are ‘meant to be’ sworn enemies.
I liked that there is considerable humour within the storyline. Grey uses lots of puns throughout, such as ‘The Beagle has Landed’ and ‘Astrocats land on Saturn and rename is Caturn’, Dogopoly instead of Monopoly and so forth. I, also, liked that the text isn’t all one typeface and one size. It makes reading the story more interesting and allows you to add extra expression when reading. I think it captures the reader’s attention, too. There are speech bubbles, thought bubbles and post it notes in the illustrations. I like that there is a lot of onomatopoeia, including whoosh, glug, flurb, glurp (particularly around the illustrations of the ketchup volcanoes!). The illustrations give a lot of added information to supplement the text. For example, although we knew Space Dog was going home, it’s not until he’s sat having his usual dinner that we understand he is heading to Earth due to the picture frames on his wall. We get to know Space Dog quite well from the illustrations; we assume we likes playing board games, he’s excited about going home as there’s a calendar crossed off on his wall. Much of the time the illustrations are the ones narrating the storyline, as they are accompanied by speech bubbles. The language is colloquial and fairly advanced (vocabulary might need to be discussed when reading, such as chasm, fondue, SOS), and the humour might be more appropriate for KS2 children. This would be a wonderful book to read alongside a topic on Space.
My only criticism is I think it is a little long. If you read this aloud at the end of the day you would need a good 30 minutes to read it and talk about it, or perhaps you split it up and you read the first two adventures Space Dog goes on, before reading the final adventure the following day.
October 12, 2015
Being a Space Dog is hard work, especially in a busy, animated, anthropomorphic food Spooniverse. Our hero wants to go home, but gets wrapped up solving the Spooniverse’s problems along the way. I love how this character challenges himself to veer away from his normal routine and explore unchartered territory. Themes of taking risks, friendship, and teamwork are present. With that combination, anything is possible. The cartoonish illustrations are worthy of a television series. The commercialism is appealing and the reader will have to stop and take in every little detail to fully experience the art. With so much going on, the pacing tends to come to a halt at certain points to allow for this exploration. But, there is no shortage of entertainment in this story, and every reader will have something to enjoy. Space Dog is sure to be a fun read aloud, especially for laps.
I received a review copy of this book from Random House Children's in exchange for an honest review.
I received a review copy of this book from Random House Children's in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews