Star Beasts is a fun story that Stephanie Young has created. However, due to a lot of characters you will meet (some even for a short moment), sometimes that can make things a smidgen confusing. However, this story has great potential for being the new “IT graphic novel” for ages 8 to 12.
The story is if Star Trek, Firefly, and Andromeda hooked up with all the science-fi spoof and most of the animal stories, you might get something like this. And plot? All I say is, you never should have messed with Pluto’s planet status!
But I guess I should say more. We have our hero Bandit, a dog from Earth chosen to head the mission to help keep the planet and galaxy safe. He must leave his human girl to become the youngest space Captain. There is a motley crew: a sheep who is a doctor (and she does not let you forget that), a farmer pig (who likes naps), and a turtle who enjoys being grumpy, firing the weapon and has their action figures. There are others, such as an iguana named Pep, a unicorn, parakeet, and tiger. Each one has their own unique talents to compliment the others to keep the ship running and everything safe.
And one of the things they need to keep everyone safe from is the Krill people who live on Pluto. And whose leader is none to happy about the planet’s loss of planet status (SEE! I knew something bad was going to happen because of that! Silly scientists, think they know everything!) And it is up to Bandit and his crew of lovable, odd, (maybe traitorous) crew to stop former friends, old enemies and save a baby sloth that is probably the last of her kind.
While this is not my favorite book of the year, it is one that I will recommend. It is geared to a child who does not mind busy text, panels and/or illustrations, and several storylines going on at once. The cover gives you everything you need to know about the book (how colors and details shape the characters and landscapes around them).