Author Ben Kahn (Renegade Rule) and illustrator Georgeo Brooks (Immortals Fenyx Rising) reunite for the lively, diverting middle-grade graphic novel Mr. Muffins: Defender of the Stars.
Eleven-year-old, brown-skinned Reuben Mahmoud, to avoid homework, takes his corgi, Mr. Muffins, to the park. When they arrive, a spaceship slams into the ground with a mighty "KRASH!" Lt. Cassara of the Voltarian Alliance, a bipedal purple alien with axolotl-like features, steps out of the smoking craft and tells Reuben they are "on a mission of galactic importance": to retrieve the spirit of the champion of light and bring it back to their people. Cassara claims Mr. Muffins is harboring the spirit, and she must take the dog. "He's not some weapon for you to fire," Reuben says. "He's my friend. He's a good boy. If he goes to space, I go to space." Cassara tells the boy he does not understand the danger. "And you," Reuben replies, "don't understand how much I don't want to do my homework."
Kahn and Brooks present the unwavering love between a boy and his dog: Reuben and Mr. Muffins are ceaselessly loyal to one another and stand by each other's side no matter the trouble. Brooks's thickly lined panels create a seamless flow, his characters are large-eyed and expressive, and his art highlights angles and perspectives. Throughout the action-packed and emotional scenes, there are a ton of silly asides and direct visual and textual jokes. Mr. Muffins truly has it all: epic space battles, heartwarming moments, and a super-powered corgi. --Kharissa Kenner, library media specialist, Churchill School and Center