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Binky #2
Binky to the Rescue
While in hot pursuit of an alien invader (a bug), Binky accidentally falls out the space station porthole (bathroom window) and finds himself in outer space (outside) for the very first time. But just as Binky begins to explore, he discovers that his copilot, Ted (stuffed mousie), is trapped beneath an enemy warship (wasps' nest)! Binky must rescue Ted from the clutches of these evil aliens. Will he be able to save his best friend? Can Ted survive his ordeal? Does Binky still suffer from space gas? This book will delight graphic novel readers of all ages.
64 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2010
33 people are currently reading
952 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Spires
48 books217 followersAshley has written and illustrated many books, most notably the bestselling The Most Magnificent Thing, which is now a short animated film. She creates books that remind kids that making mistakes is integral to learning. She lives in British Columbia with her dog and a growing army of felines.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
September 8, 2017
Cute, Binky explores 'space'
Thames books are so cute. They remind me a bit of Calvin and Hobbes in that there is always some silliness, gentle nature to the story. This book , Binky the indoor cat falls outside,or into "outer space". Aliens attack. All bugs are aliens.
Thames books are so cute. They remind me a bit of Calvin and Hobbes in that there is always some silliness, gentle nature to the story. This book , Binky the indoor cat falls outside,or into "outer space". Aliens attack. All bugs are aliens.
September 16, 2010
When I try to think of cat-related graphic novels for kids, I find that titles don't fall trippingly off of my tongue. Sure there's the fabulous Fashion Kitty (a great series, in spite of the sound of its name). But that's about it on the feline side of things. While mice have always fared well in comics (Mickey Mouse, Maus, etc.) and continue to do so (Babymouse, Mouse Guard, Missile Mouse, etc.) cats don't get a lot of play aside from the odd Krazy Kat and Calvin and Hobbes. Enter Binky. Binky is strong. Binky is brave. Binky is noble. And Binky also happens to be an overweight housecat who believes that he is a brave denizen of outer space. Having divided and conquered already in his previous book Binky the Space Cat, our hero returns in this, his most daring adventure yet.
The life of your average, everyday spacecat is never easy. Binky doesn't really live in a space station, but try telling him that. With so many invading aliens/moths to defeat, it's little wonder that he keeps so busy. One day, while routinely chasing an alien around and about the home, Binky accidentally leaps through a screen window and finds himself in outer space/the outdoors. Worst of all, his beloved mousie toy Ted (and co-pilot) has fallen out as well. Binky is rescued by his humans but Ted is left in the clutches of the enemy (wasps). Now Binky must find a way to locate and save his best friend, no matter what the cost.
This is a Canadian children's series, which makes for some interesting comparisons. The Canadians are different from you and me. They have a bit of a European sensibility to their comics. For the most part Binky is like any other comic you might name, though shots of his rear are amusingly French. He also seems to suffer from a bit of space gas, but a big deal isn't made about this. If you have kids that are desperate to find fart jokes in all their literature then I'm sure they'll be adequately amused by the little "poooot!" but for other readers it will hardly register.
Half the fun in these stories are the sound effects Spires makes up. They're as much a part of the action as the narration, if not more so. What's interesting about them, though, is that you wouldn't necessarily notice them on a first reading. Spires has chosen to make the words printed rather than drawn, giving them an almost invisible quality on the page. Your eyes read them without necessarily noticing that you are doing so. They don't stand out either but wrap around the action, so as to remain as quiet and unobtrusive as possible. I like the made up words too. Who knew that the sound a person makes when they imitate a laser gun shooting would spell out to something like "pssew! psssew!"? And sometimes these words explain an image better than the picture itself. For example, in one scene Binky is on the ground looking up as his humans seated on the couch and the word "wiggle" appears near his hindquarters. Certainly any cat owner will instantly recognize that move.
The art in the Binky books is probably what drew me to them in the first place. Spires utilizes a limited color palette here. In the indoor world is mostly gray and the outdoor world a subdued green. Binky is black and white, which means that your eye tends to be drawn to him, regardless of where he appears at any given time. The way Spires chooses to break up the panels is also particularly interesting here. She's very good at conveying how the action in a scene moves from moment to moment. Some graphic illustrators have a difficult time grasping the connection between one panel and another. Spires never has that problem. Her scenes flow together nicely while always keeping the eyes darting around the pages. In fact, they work so well together that I would bet you dollars to donuts that if you removed all the narration from this book and then handed it to a child, that kid would still be able to follow the plot without any difficulty at all. For all we know, maybe that was the way it was originally intended to be read.
Interestingly, the only real problem I had with the art was that for most of the book the size of the humans was interchangeable. Not having read the first Binky book, I just assumed the two folks who owned Binky were husband and wife. It wasn't until one of them called "Mom!" that the relationship was made clear. Still, that's just a minor quibble.
You could probably make some comparisons between Binky's extended fantasy life and that found in the picture book The Secret Life of Walter Kitty. The difference, of course, is that while Walter could never concentrate on a single fantasy, Binky is faithful to his belief that he is a space cat. The evidence, after all, is overwhelming. Bugs = aliens. The outdoors = outer space. Easy peasy. The end result is a book that will interest emerging readers and older readers equally. If we were asked to send a cat into space, Binky would be my first choice. Visually stimulating and a lot of fun, this is great addition to any graphic novel collection. Worthy.
For ages 7-12.
The life of your average, everyday spacecat is never easy. Binky doesn't really live in a space station, but try telling him that. With so many invading aliens/moths to defeat, it's little wonder that he keeps so busy. One day, while routinely chasing an alien around and about the home, Binky accidentally leaps through a screen window and finds himself in outer space/the outdoors. Worst of all, his beloved mousie toy Ted (and co-pilot) has fallen out as well. Binky is rescued by his humans but Ted is left in the clutches of the enemy (wasps). Now Binky must find a way to locate and save his best friend, no matter what the cost.
This is a Canadian children's series, which makes for some interesting comparisons. The Canadians are different from you and me. They have a bit of a European sensibility to their comics. For the most part Binky is like any other comic you might name, though shots of his rear are amusingly French. He also seems to suffer from a bit of space gas, but a big deal isn't made about this. If you have kids that are desperate to find fart jokes in all their literature then I'm sure they'll be adequately amused by the little "poooot!" but for other readers it will hardly register.
Half the fun in these stories are the sound effects Spires makes up. They're as much a part of the action as the narration, if not more so. What's interesting about them, though, is that you wouldn't necessarily notice them on a first reading. Spires has chosen to make the words printed rather than drawn, giving them an almost invisible quality on the page. Your eyes read them without necessarily noticing that you are doing so. They don't stand out either but wrap around the action, so as to remain as quiet and unobtrusive as possible. I like the made up words too. Who knew that the sound a person makes when they imitate a laser gun shooting would spell out to something like "pssew! psssew!"? And sometimes these words explain an image better than the picture itself. For example, in one scene Binky is on the ground looking up as his humans seated on the couch and the word "wiggle" appears near his hindquarters. Certainly any cat owner will instantly recognize that move.
The art in the Binky books is probably what drew me to them in the first place. Spires utilizes a limited color palette here. In the indoor world is mostly gray and the outdoor world a subdued green. Binky is black and white, which means that your eye tends to be drawn to him, regardless of where he appears at any given time. The way Spires chooses to break up the panels is also particularly interesting here. She's very good at conveying how the action in a scene moves from moment to moment. Some graphic illustrators have a difficult time grasping the connection between one panel and another. Spires never has that problem. Her scenes flow together nicely while always keeping the eyes darting around the pages. In fact, they work so well together that I would bet you dollars to donuts that if you removed all the narration from this book and then handed it to a child, that kid would still be able to follow the plot without any difficulty at all. For all we know, maybe that was the way it was originally intended to be read.
Interestingly, the only real problem I had with the art was that for most of the book the size of the humans was interchangeable. Not having read the first Binky book, I just assumed the two folks who owned Binky were husband and wife. It wasn't until one of them called "Mom!" that the relationship was made clear. Still, that's just a minor quibble.
You could probably make some comparisons between Binky's extended fantasy life and that found in the picture book The Secret Life of Walter Kitty. The difference, of course, is that while Walter could never concentrate on a single fantasy, Binky is faithful to his belief that he is a space cat. The evidence, after all, is overwhelming. Bugs = aliens. The outdoors = outer space. Easy peasy. The end result is a book that will interest emerging readers and older readers equally. If we were asked to send a cat into space, Binky would be my first choice. Visually stimulating and a lot of fun, this is great addition to any graphic novel collection. Worthy.
For ages 7-12.
December 31, 2019
These books are freaking adorable. Great book to end the year with.
October 22, 2013
I absolutely *loved* Binky's first adventure, and while, this, his second adventure wasn't quite as stupendous as the first it didn't fall far. My main issue would be that "Space Cat" had such a rich, full plot while "To the Rescue" is a fairly basic plot comparatively. However, it still has all the wonderful qualities I loved the first time around. Binky is such the quintessential cat and this time he is busy ridding the house of aliens (which happen to be wasps who have a warship nearby). Binky is so involved in his duties that he doesn't pay attention to his surroundings and makes quite a mess of the house and then accidentally falls out a window. This part was hilarious, he sticks a garden hose in his mouth for an oxygen supply, and explores the new world of outer space which wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for all the aliens (esp. the wasps).
The humour of Binky is hilarious in an understated manner, he takes himself quite seriously. And the artwork is beautiful. I love the way Spires uses a muted, limited palette of colours mainly browns, blues and greens with just a tiny splash of colour here and there, for ex. the red hat on a garden gnome. A great follow-up that leaves one begging for more Binky books. While these are children's books, I also think they would make perfect gifts for the adult cat lover as they are just so cute.
The humour of Binky is hilarious in an understated manner, he takes himself quite seriously. And the artwork is beautiful. I love the way Spires uses a muted, limited palette of colours mainly browns, blues and greens with just a tiny splash of colour here and there, for ex. the red hat on a garden gnome. A great follow-up that leaves one begging for more Binky books. While these are children's books, I also think they would make perfect gifts for the adult cat lover as they are just so cute.
December 1, 2020
Binky's got a mission, to rescue his mousie Ted from the evil outdoor aliens (aka wasps). He will stop at nothing to retrieve his precious toy friend, even if that means getting stung again. Oh, Binky is so cute. Very much like the first book, we see some of Binky's ideas of the outside world and insects through his eyes, and we see his attachment to a toy, which I know some pets have. All these books seem a very quick read and just something light and fun to read in between some heavier books.
October 26, 2021
Es un cómic muy simpático y ameno. El tierno pero activo minino protagonista se cree un gato espacial; todo por el aburrimiento de estar en un hogar encerrado (vete tú a saber lo que piensan ellos. Y, sobre todo, de nosotros). En unas de sus incursiones 'internas' sobre el enemigo, se emociona tanto que cae junto con su compañero de aventuras ( un peluchito) al espacio exterior ( o sea, el jardín, para el cual no está ni preparado). Y ahí comienza el desesperado retorno , y posterior rescate de su compi, simulando su manual de astronauta :D
Continuaré con la serie.
Continuaré con la serie.
October 14, 2018
might technically be a graphic novel for young kids, but the humor, imagination and verve is appealing to all ages
October 21, 2015
I won't lie this book wouldn't have been one that I wanted to read but a friend recommended it to me. The cover to me just wasn't appealing and I know we shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. Book list did review it but it didn't get a starred rating. Basically it is about a cat who feels that flies are aliens. He doesn't know that a bee is a bug. Binky tries to be a detective and fight the crime of killing the bees. I do love how the words go along with the pictures. They are short descriptive words. When the cat goes to do a summer salt the word tuck is written to indicate what is happening. It's written like a mini-graphic novel in that the pictures go in frames. Because he is just a cat small items such as q-tips are used as weapons. The humor added to the story made it enjoyable to read. He feels he is in outer space because he is an inside cat who has never been outside. He must discover new things. It's almost like a baby being exposed to the world or visiting someplace new. You want to go and learn about the new surroundings.
You might tie this book in with scardy squirrel series because it is the same type of story. He thinks that his world is dangerous because it is new and unusual. Themes such a friendship, holding on to items that mean something to us, taking care of others, exploration, and family are apart of this book. You might discuss animal habitats, pets that students have at home, write stories on what they think their animals think about or do while they are gone. One might bring in a reading buddy such as a stuffed animal or a toy that means a lot to them. Little kids normally cling to something like this at a young age. This would be a great reader's theater because you can act it out. Preschoolers to upper elementary children would like this book.
Try, try , try again is a good moto for this book. Blinky really wants to rescue his stuffed friend and does everything in his power to do so. He even consults his observation manual for assistance.
Vocabulary would be a good lesson here exposing children to words that they don't know.
You might tie this book in with scardy squirrel series because it is the same type of story. He thinks that his world is dangerous because it is new and unusual. Themes such a friendship, holding on to items that mean something to us, taking care of others, exploration, and family are apart of this book. You might discuss animal habitats, pets that students have at home, write stories on what they think their animals think about or do while they are gone. One might bring in a reading buddy such as a stuffed animal or a toy that means a lot to them. Little kids normally cling to something like this at a young age. This would be a great reader's theater because you can act it out. Preschoolers to upper elementary children would like this book.
Try, try , try again is a good moto for this book. Blinky really wants to rescue his stuffed friend and does everything in his power to do so. He even consults his observation manual for assistance.
Vocabulary would be a good lesson here exposing children to words that they don't know.
March 3, 2016
In this graphic novel-type book, the author uses “ink, watercolor, cat fur, and bits of kitty litter” to share the story of Binky, an official certified space cat, who works hard to protect the two humans he lives with from aliens, otherwise known as flies. During his most recent patrolling duty, Binky inadvertently ends up outside of his space station, otherwise known as his house. After securing himself to a lawn gnome and finding a source of oxygen by means of a garden hose, Binky decides to explore outer space. He is unexpectedly attacked by an ambush of the alien enemy, also known as bees, and is soon rescued by his human. He soon realizes that his best friend since kitten-hood, a purple stuffed mouse named Ted, remains outside! Readers ages 7-10 will enjoy reading Binky’s attempts to save his beloved Ted and the heartwarming ending to the story. This humorous book follows “Binky the Space Cat” and is part of the Binky book series. Readers may enjoy following the adventures of Binky throughout these books. I would recommend these books for students who are new to or enjoy graphic novels, as they are set in a realistic setting and students would likely be able to enter this world of fantasy without many restrictions.
September 30, 2010
Binky is a normal everyday housecat who believes that he is, instead, a spacecat. Bugs in the house? Aliens. The house itself? A space station. Unfortunately, one day Binky falls out a screen window with his stuffed mousie (or, to his mind, co-pilot) Fred. When Binky is turned safely, he discovers that Fred is still in danger outside. Thus begins the daring rescue mission. The art is amusing, the text fun, and the descriptive words found in practically every panel a great little learning-to-read technique. Fun. - B
Very much enjoyed it too! The art is welcoming and glossy, and the evil bees are just the right amount of menacing. C
Very much enjoyed it too! The art is welcoming and glossy, and the evil bees are just the right amount of menacing. C
Read
June 14, 2012This is a cute graphic novel for any gender, but maybe leaning more towards boys because of some of the humor, between grades third through fifth. It is like a comic about a space cat, named Binky, who is on a mission to save his mousie from the aliens (aka bees). From Binky's prospective outside is space and he refers to his owners as "humans". It is a very creative story and gets the reader to think outside of the box. I love that the pictures are in a comic book style with squares of events. I actually picked this book because I know someone who has a cat named Binky! This is a 2011 Eisner Award Nominee for best publication for kids.
December 26, 2010
Once again, Binky finds himself in another adventure, this time, rescuing his best friend "Ted" from the evil clutches of his enemies: the aliens. Once again, I was endearingly amused by Binky's tactics, including his improved combat skills and inventive rescue techniques. A very cute follow-up to Binky the Space Cat. Two titles I would definitely recommend to young readers who are enthusiastic about adventurous kitties and who are being introduced to the world of graphic novels.
June 14, 2012
I thought this was a very cute book. The illustrations were great and very appealing to young readers. The recommended audience would be 1st-4th graders. I think they would really enjoy reading this style of book and find the story very interesting and enjoyable. This book is from the Will Eisner award nominees in 2011.
April 5, 2016
A funny comic book...for the kids and for the big ones :)
October 15, 2025
I know in my review for the first book I said I wouldn’t continue the series, but here I am…
Binky is still on his mission to protect the space station—his owner’s house—from alien invaders—bugs.
He’s been busy since the last book and has been taking patrolling more seriously. But then something happens: Binky accidentally falls outside. He’s now in outer space—out of the house—without his spacesuit!
Things aren’t easy for the fuzzy space cat. While in outer space, he sees his best friend, Ted—his stuffed toy—stranded in space. He’s now on a mission to rescue Ted before it's too late.
Note: Using new rating system starting 2025.
January 7, 2017
Binky is now satisfied to stay in his home... I mean "space station". However, he does have to deal with invading "aliens" (aka bugs). While fending off one such incursion, Binky accidently... goes outside! Though he is able to return to the space station quickly, he soon realizes that he has left Ted behind, and the space cat code is clear. NO ONE gets left behind!
Binky once again has his own special version of crazy, which is fun to watch, but his concern for Ted is also super sweet and a good reminder to kids to face their fears to help others.
No content issues.
November 29, 2018
The second instalment in the adventure of Binky the space/house cat. Here, Binky accidentally exits into "Outer Space" (falls out the bathroom window) where he becomes a victim of a vicious attack by aliens (a swarm of bees) and must rescue his side-kick (a tiny teddy-bear) from the aliens when his little friend is accidentally left outside. Cute, but only recommended if you couldn't get enough with Binky the Space Cat (which was definitely the case for me).
—October 2011
—October 2011
September 17, 2023
Binky to the Rescue is just as wonderful as Binky the Space Cat. I was worried the author couldn’t keep up the creativity and wild imagination mixed with reality. Binky accidentally goes into space and gets back safely but then realizes his copilot has been left behind. Binky never gives up until his lifelong pal is safely back inside with him. I feel like I’m in my own cat’s head every time I read about Binky. I can’t wait for more.
January 18, 2018
Binky seems innocuous enough. He is a house cat to his humans, but he knows the truth- that only he can save his humans from alien invaders. In this episode, Binky is knocked into outer space with his mousie, Ted, and must rescue Ted from the aliens. Readers must infer what is happening from the point of view of the humans and the POV of the cat.
July 9, 2018
"We at W.A.S.P. (Wasps Against Stereotypes and Propaganda) in no way endorse BINKY TO THE RESCUE. By Portraying wasps as villains, this story is ignoring the years of anger management counseling and diligent charity work in which many wasps have engaged. Be a friend to wasps: Don't read this book."
September 6, 2018
This is a really fun beginning graphic novel about a cat that thinks he lives on a space station and that anything outside of his house is outer space and that bugs are aliens. I read this out to my 6 year old who loves it.
July 8, 2024
This sequel takes the premise of the original and makes it funnier. I think it stands alone nicely. The concept is still hilarious and this one, while the climax is okay, comes up with an ending twist. About 40 pages of comic panels featuring a cat protagonist—very dry humor.
May 15, 2017
Another solid installment of my favorite space cat. A great way to introduce movement and emotion in comics to 2nd graders.
June 2, 2017
Cute!
July 10, 2017
Cute book my kids loved.
December 9, 2017
THIS BOOK IS CRAP<> PLZ DONT READ(FOR YOUR OWN SAKE)
January 13, 2018
Looking forward to bringing this fun series to my library!
June 2, 2019
Takes longer to get the plot sorted than others in the series, but the happy ending and parallels between my Binky and her fish toy (and Boots and his Chick/Spring) are uncanny.
July 24, 2020
This explains so much.
August 24, 2020
🐈 🐱 👽 👾 cute
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