Spring 2024

AstroNuts Mission Two: The Water Planet

From the Set AstroNuts

This laugh-out-loud, visually groundbreaking read is the second book in a major new series by children's literature legend Jon Scieszka.
Featuring full-color illustrations throughout, an out-of-this-world gatefold, and how-to-draw pages in the back, eager and reluctant readers alike will be over the moon about this new mission, where AstroWolf, LaserShark, SmartHawk, and StinkBug must find a planet fit for human life after we've finally made Earth unlivable. They splash-land on the Water Planet, where they find power-hungry clams, a rebellious underwater force, and a world that is too good to be true. Can this aquatic world really be our new home? And why are these clams so eager to swap planets? Full of laugh-out-loud humor with a thoughtful commentary on the reality of climate change at the core of the story, this creatively illustrated, full-color, action-packed space saga is a can't-put-it-down page-turner for reluctant readers and fans ready to blast past Dogman.

Format List Price Your Price Qty
$42.80 $29.95
Interest Level Grade 3 - Grade 6
Reading Level Grade 4
Dewey Number FIC
Lexile 630L
ATOS Reading Level 4.3
Guided Reading Level Q
Language English
Publisher Black Rabbit Books
Format Reinforced book
ISBN 9781623109820
Copyright 2024
Number of Pages 228
Dimensions 6 x 8
Graphics Full-color illustrations

SLJ Review of AstroNuts Mission Two: The Water Planet

The ragtag AstroNuts crew continue their mission of finding a Goldilocks planet (not too hot, not too cold, but just right) as a new home as Earth becomes more and more polluted. The AstroNuts—AstroWolf, LaserShark, SmartHawk, and StingBug—take off in their rocket, the sculpted beak of Thomas Jefferson’s effigy on Mount Rushmore. They crash land on a water planet, get aquatic body enhancements, and tumble from their ship to be greeted by the mayor, a giant clam wearing a top hat and determined to get the AstroNuts to swap Earth for his home planet. The illustrious water planet seems too good to be true and is revealed as such by the leader of an underground clam resistance sect led by Susan B. Clamthony. The AstroNuts must deal with a possible mutiny within their own crew; the fast-talking, smarmy clam mayor; and an upheaval of epic proportions when the resistance emerges from their underground headquarters. Graphs, anatomy charts, and infographics give the pictures and text a tongue-in-cheek gravitas that will have delighted readers returning for more. Weinberg’s use of collage is charming; he superimposes whimsical cartoons onto classical works of art taken from places such as the Rijksmuseum. This reuse of images also helps to underline the heavy ecological messages of the book: reuse and recycle. The author leaves no possible clam pun or wordplay unused, which gets a bit tedious by the conclusion. However, in true Scieszka style, the majority of the book is a joyful exploration of what he does best—make the known seem absurd and the absurd seem perfectly reasonable.VERDICT A funny, ridiculous journey into space infused with a thoughtful ecological message.

Author: Jon Scieszka

Illustrator: Steven Weinberg