Written by Dian Curtis Regan, Illustrated by Robert Neubecker
Siblings don’t always enjoy playing together. When Niko sees a sign about a lost cat he feels that he has a new mission. He should leave Planet Home and go to the moon and rescue the cat. He and his copilot Radar (pretend to) get in the spaceship Niko built in the back yard, and go off to find the cat. Niko feels his sister Posh should not be a part of the mission. He likes having his dog, Tag, along. When they get to the moon, Niko, Radar, and Tag all look for the cat. Posh does her own thing. And then some sibling tension comes up. Niko has one vision of his mission, and Posh has another.
The artist, Robert Neubecker, did a terrific job of enhancing the story with his illustrations. The creative use of space really helped the story move well. He used different sized illustrations throughout the book. The art work is friendly and humorous. He lives in Park City, Utah.
I didn’t see that the chapter titles helped the story. They kind of just announced what the reader would soon learn. The book is written in the present tense. It is a good story, but the writing is a bit choppy. The idea is good and a fun, imaginative adventure. Many children will enjoy this book for a variety of reasons.
Review by Cheryl Baker, Teacher, Mill Creek Elementary
Rating: ★★★★✩ (4 stars)
Interest Level: Grades K-3
Space Boy and His Sister Dog
Written by Dian Curtis Regan, Illustrated by Robert Neubecker
Boyds Mills Press
32 pages
Release Date: April 7, 2015
Categories: Elem. – Picture Book
Tags: Siblings, cats, pretending, pets.
