For the second book in their Quinnelope series, Quinnelope and the Mystery of the Missing Moon, HF Brownfield and Kayla Coombs (Quinnelope and the Cookie King Catastrophe) send their pink blob hero and her pals into space in search of their planet's missing moon. They meet a plethora of zany characters and encounter the inconceivable along the way, making their celestial adventure a foray into silliness and fun.
When Quinnelope discovers that Planet Quearth's moon has left its orbit, she alerts her confidants and they all set off in a deluxe space RV. They must find their moon--if they don't, what will happen to "ghost stories and camp fires and beauty sleep?" The voyagers make their way through town and then launch onto space highway Route 77. The team of cosmic sleuths encounter a meteor family, go bowling with farting spikey blokes, and ask for directions at the Glitterglorb. Meanwhile, Star produces an intergalactic radio show that chronicles their extraordinary encounters in the wilds of space.
Brownfield and Coombs's protagonists are whacky and endearing. Star, "the only star in the universe who shoots rainbows out of their gluteus maximus," Bub, a level-headed, "responsible panda butler," and Pish, a talking purple goldfish, complement Quinnelope's larger-than-life personality. Brownfield and Coombs use panels and full-page bleeds to keep the visual story dynamic and the colorful comic-style illustrations are bold, striking, and filled with exaggerated cuteness. No matter what planet the audience is on, they are likely to find this graphic novel packed full of quirky, far-out escapades that make for a humorously enjoyable read. --Jen Forbus, freelancer