I thought this was a really sweet cat adventure story. It's hard not to imagine your pets having a secret life when you're away, full of drama and intrigue, and this is just that. I've been a fan of Okorafor's work for years, and she frequently shares Periwinkle on her social media, so it was incredibly charming. I'm not sure how it would play for an audience not familiar with "The Nnedi" or Periwinkle, but I thought it was quite funny and sweet. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read!

This MG graphic novel is a quick, fun read, featuring a wonderfully engaging cat named Periwinkle, based on Okorafor's own real-life cat. Periwinkle has a great life - beloved, spoiled pet by day, space explorer by night. When his family moves to Kaleria, Nigeria, Periwinkle is excited to explore his new home, despite being told that Nigerians hate cats. There's a mysterious enemy to fight, and that part of the story felt a little rushed to me compared to the pace of the rest of the book, but overall I loved this story of a special cat, and Tana Ford's illustrations were fantastic. Thank you to NetGalley and First Second Books for a digital review copy.

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc of this title. Pumpernickel Pickle Periwinkle Chukwu Okorafor is not just any cat--he's a SPACE CAT. His father is from Neptune, after all. He has it pretty good at home, but when his humans travel to Nigeria for a year it looks like things might be a bit dicey. Nigerians, it seems, do not like cats. And it seems as though some sort of alien presence has invaded the area and is controlling the humans. But Periwinkle is not a cat to be trifled with. He is more than up to the challenge of making friends in a hostile environment--and those aliens will not know what hit them. This one is lots of fun.

What a delightful read! The Space Cat is a cute, sweet, and genuinely funny graphic novel packed with fast-paced action and laugh-out-loud moments.

The art is great, and Nnedi Okorafor's depiction of feline behavior is perfect—anyone who has lived with a cat will find it hilariously accurate. The story also seamlessly weaves in fascinating learning moments about Nigerian culture, offering a wonderful window into traditions that may be new to many Western readers.

This is a fun, action-packed adventure that's full of heart, humor, and feline antics.

TL:DR
4 stars
Appropriate for K+
Primary appeal to 2-5
Fans of Cats, Science Fiction, animals with purpose, possibly Scurry by Mac Smith and Warrior Cats GN's

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Those who follow Dr. Nnedi Okorafor online will undoubtedly recognize the main character of this story. Her very real cat, Periwinkle Chukwu, blesses us all with his genius through this fun and interesting sci-fi romp. We race in space, travel in an airplane cargo hold, experiance the Nigerian market, and witness The Great Hotsauce Incident.

While the average person may think that this Great Hotsauce Incident was just a cat being mischievous with condiments, WE now know that in fact, Periwinkle Chukwu successfully battled a tiny alien terror.

Yes, this story (beautifully illustrated by Tana Ford) is about a cat from space and how he saves the Earth (and his humans). But it is also about love and patience. We watch as a mistrustful and defensive cat becomes a loving and protective member of a family. And that evolution makes the rest of the story that much more enjoyable.

Although the mild violence may be too scary for some sensitive younglings, I wouldn't hesitate to read this with/to a few Kindergarteners in my life. I wouldn't put it on a library shelf dedicated to only those younger than 7, though.

I will definitely be adding this to my elementary school library, and highly recommend it for libraries where animal-centric adventures circulate a lot.


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Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advance digital copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

KC
School Librarian for 3rd - 5th Grade
Storyteller
Lover of cheese & tiny boxes

Periwinkle is more than a beloved house cat--he is a space cat! Spaceship racing, cats from Neptune, and alien invaders are all part of the life of a space cat. So when the family moves to Nigeria for a year, Periwinkle is ready for any adventure. Many people in his new hometown, however, hate cats (and owls). But when dangerous mind-controlling aliens start taking over, only Periwinkle and his animal friends can stop them. If Periwinkle can convince them that humans are worth saving.

Space Cat is sure to delight graphic novel readers and animal lovers with its gorgeous art, humorous antics, and battle scenes as Periwinkle explores and defends the planet. And enjoys chicken filets. Readers may even gain insight into what any feline friends may be up to when no humans are looking.

"Invaders from outer space have descended on Nigeria. They have no idea whose home they're messing with.

Ah, yes, the luxurious life of a well-loved cat. It's the best. And Periwinkle has it the cushiest. But there's more to this pampered pet than meets the eye. He's not just a house cat. He's a space cat. By day, he's showered with scritches, cuddles, and delicious chicken fillets. By night, he races through the cosmos in his custom-built spaceship.

Between epic battles with squeaky toys and working on ways to improve his ship, Periwinkle is never bored. And when his humans decide to leave the United States and move to the small but bustling town of Kaleria, Nigeria, he's excited to explore his new home - even after he learns that many Nigerians hate cats. After all, a born adventurer like Periwinkle doesn't shy away from new experiences. But not everything in Kaleria is as it seems. Soon enough, Periwinkle finds himself on his most out-of-this-world adventure yet, right here on Earth."

Even since I watched The Cat from Outer Space I have been obsessed by the idea of felines in space.

When I first started this book, I was pretty sure it was not going to be for me. Initially the way Periwinkle spoke grated on my nerves. About the time we encounter the hot sauce alien, I knew I had been wrong. This book is delightful and original. I've never read anything quite like it. I have no words for the art. It's gorgeous, with definite African vibes.

Absolutely adorable story that features the author, her daughter, and their cat Periwinkle, who's a space cat. The drawings were gorgeous and the colors were beautiful. I'll definitely look out for the next volume of this graphic novel.

E ARC provided by Netgalley

This was an interesting graphic novel about the secret life of Periwinkle, who in addition to being the author's cat, also has space adventures. These are presented in what I consider "comic book" format; episodic stories that don't necessarily tie together. The cat getting into a bottle of "alien" hot sauce was fairly amusing.

The art was phenomenal, and I loved the use of color. For the flashback of Periwinkle being adopted, there is a nice sepia toned background, but pops of color for people and the cat. The space adventures are largely blue and purple.

I enjoyed this author's Ikenga, but haven't read any of her other books. This would be a good choice for readers who enjoyed Cody and Mercado's Cat Ninja Venable and Yu's Katie the Catsitter, Boothby and Matsumoto's Sparks! or Marciano et al.'s Klawde.

I received an ARC from First Second Books via NetGalley. Periwinkle is a house cat with everything he needs, who also can travel to space. His owners take him from the US to Nigeria so his owner can write a book. While in Nigeria he meets some of the local cats and helps solve a big problem.

The artwork and story are for a younger audience, but I love the spoiled musings of this cute cat. I also really enjoyed his adventures in Nigeria. It was fun seeing Nnedi Okorafor use herself, her daughter and their cat as an inspiration for this story.

If it's revealed that Periwinkle Okorafor somehow experienced something much like these wild adventures, even including encounters with assorted other space beings, and relayed that information via Nnedi, assisted by the gorgeous illustrations, I will not be surprised. This wonderful exercise in different perspectives is a treat for all ages.

Visually appealing, but rather short on substance. The "space cat" parts didn't mesh convincingly with the "real life" parts. I expected more from this author.

A fun graphic novel following Okorafor's cat and his adventures. When his family moves to Nigeria, Periwinkle learns that not every culture finds cats to be as cute and adorable as in the United States. In Nigeria, he--and owls--are viewed as a bad omen. Still, he has a comfort: racing in outer space. His adventures there predispose him to broader ideas, like the idea that an alien species is trying to take over Nigeria. Together with other cats and owls, he succeeds in making sure the aliens go back where they came from.

The art style is fun, and there's a subplot involving another orange space cat. If you have a kid in your life who enjoys cats and outer space, this is probably the best book for them.

As a cat lover and a Nnedi Okorafor fan, I thought this would be a surefire slam dunk, but The Space Cat didn't dazzle me. The titular space cat, Periwinkle, speaks in a stilted Cat-ese that feels like it holds the characterization and the writing back. If we're suspending disbelief about a cat's ability to build a space-worthy vessel, I think we can suspend disbelief about the same cat's mastery of the English language. As the book goes on, Periwinkle's dialogue becomes less jarring, and there's lots of humor and heart, with the depiction of Nigeria being a unique highlight, but ultimately it felt like this book was trying to do too many things without giving any of them enough space to breath. Unfortunately, space going cats are a well-trodden topic in middle grade graphic novels, and other titles do it with a lot more kid-appeal.

I love cats and I love space. This just didn’t do it for me. I was disappointed. The setting played into the story very little.

This was fantastic!! I will read anything by Nnedi Okorafor so I was really excited to see that she had a graphic novel coming out. This was so good. The writing was good, and the artwork was amazing! I loved how all the cats and animals looked. As soon as this comes out I'm getting a physical copy. I can't wait to see what all the artwork looks like in person. Everything was so colorful! If I could give this ten stars I would.

I couldn't wait to read this when Nnedi Okorafor announced she was writing a children's graphic novel. I have read the first book in her Binti series and loved it, and while The Space Cat wasn't I what expected going in, it has to be one of my favorite books in a while because of the innovative art, lovely characters (and cameos by the author), and cats, of course. Young and older readers who love cats and space will definitely want to get their hands on this one.

As a crazy cat lady, I have often wondered if my cats are aliens from another planet. In this book, the cat is! Periwinkle starts off not trusting the humans he's living with, until one day he decides maybe they're not so bad after all. They give him chicken for a treat! He's built a spaceship to explore the universe. But one day, his humans announce that they're going to Nigeria for a year, and the people there hate cats. What's Periwinkle going to do?

My students are going to love this book! The illustrations are beautiful, and the story kept me hooked until the end.

The Space Cat is the wonderful adventure of Periwinkle, the aforementioned space cat. His dad is from Neptune, you know. The story and pictures are fun and fantastical. Periwinkle has nightly jaunts out of our atmosphere, a trip to Nigeria and a battle with other worldly invaders. This story just really fired my imagination. I’ll be reading it again.

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second Books for this DRC.
#TheSpaceCat #NetGalley