THE FIRST CAT IN SPACE AND THE SOUP OF DOOM The First Cat in Space, Book 2

Mac Barnett and illustrator Shawn Harris narrate their audiobook with abandon, further embellishing their quirky writing. Listeners meet the Moon Queen, who is poisoned by soup, giving her protector, the First Cat, the challenge of finding an antidote in 24 hours. Barnett and Harris excel at creating their own sound effects, adding fitting music that will evoke nostalgic pleasure in older listeners, and providing wordplay and puns that will crack up everyone. Especially memorable are the silly humor and even zanier characters whose eccentric personalities emerge via their over-the-top voices and "shameless" promotions for Book 1 of their series. Hilariously rendered subplots, such as building a piano factory atop a skyscraper--with predictable consequences--add belly laughs. This unforgettable listening experience should vie mightily with the print edition of the graphic novel. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2023]