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, in an effort to avoid finishing homework, takes his corgi, Mr. Muffins, to the park. At first, when Mr. Muffins begins barking at the sky, Reuben is confused. Then a spaceship slams into the ground with a mighty "KRASH!" A bipedal purple alien with axolotl-like features steps out of the smoking craft. Lt. Cassara of the Voltarian Alliance is "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 then attempts to steal the dog. But a ship of Hakarians, the Voltarians' enemy, arrives moments later to try to destroy the light spirit. A grand laser battle ensues in the park and, when all seems lost, Mr. Muffins shields Reuben with his force field and blasts the Hakar with his laser bark. So, Mr. Muffins does have powers: "But he's not some weapon for you to fire. He's my friend. He's a good boy. If he goes to space, I go to space." Cassara relents but 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." Reuben, Cassara, and Mr. Muffins steal the Hakarians' ship, leaving the trio of enemy aliens stranded on Earth.
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. When the two are forced to separate, Mr. Muffins is so frightened, he shuts down in the middle of a fight. Brooks's thickly lined panels create a seamless flow, his characters are large-eyed and expressive, and his art highlights angles and perspectives. For example, when Reuben talks about helping Mr. Muffins, he is shown from the back, his shirt blowing in the wind like a cape, creating a visual that is both heroic and cinematic.
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
Shelf Talker: Ben Kahn and Georgeo Brooks deliver a hilariously mesmerizing graphic novel about the bond between a boy and his alien spirit-harboring corgi.