The First Cat in Space and the Soup of Doom

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

New York Times bestselling author Mac Barnett and Caldecott Honor–winning illustrator Shawn Harris return for the second installment of a hilarious full-color POB middle grade graphic novel series following the adventures of First Cat, LOZ 4000, and the Moon Queen, as they work to uncover who poisoned the Queen’s soup. Perfect for fans of Dav Pilkey and Jeff Kinney. 

The Moon Queen has been poisoned—by SOUP. And with few she can trust in her own court, she and First Cat will have to journey alone to find the antidote in time. If only Loz4000 were still with them…But the once-heroic toenail clipping robot is running from his own terrible tale, and now looking for new purpose and meaning in this vast universe, taking Loz4000 far away from his friends. Unbeknownst to our trio, secret forces are working against them. With villainous cowboys about, high-speed chases, and pianos falling from the sky—can our iconic trio find their way back to one another and save the Moon Queen before it’s too late? And who would want to poison her? Will they ever eat soup again? Is Captain Babybeard, the adorable baby pirate, in this one?

About the Author

Mac Barnett is a New York Times bestselling author of stories for children. His books have been translated into more than thirty languages and sold more than 2 million copies worldwide. Mac’s picture books include two Caldecott Honor–winning collaborations with Jon Klassen: Sam & Dave Dig a Hole, which also won the E. B White Read Aloud Award, and Extra Yarn, which won both the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and the E. B. White Read Aloud Award. Leo: A Ghost Story, illustrated by Christian Robinson, Just Because, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault, and The Skunk, illustrated by Patrick McDonnell, were all named Best Illustrated Books by the New York Times. Mac's novels include the Mac B., Kid Spy books, the Brixton Brothers mysteries, and the Terrible Two series.Shawn Harris’s first illustrated book, Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers, received seven starred reviews and was an Orbis Pictus Award Honor Book, an ALA Notable Book, and a PW Best Book of the Year. His authorial debut, Have You Ever Seen a Flower, is a Caldecott Honor award winner. Shawn's other picture books include Eggers's What Can a Citizen Do, which was a Time magazine Best Children’s Book, Everyone’s Awake by Colin Meloy, A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett, and his own author-illustrated work Doing Business. Harris also occasionally moonlights as singer-songwriter of the popular Oakland, California, band the Matches, whose early 2000s albums art sparked his illustration career.