Gustav and Henri: Space Time Cake!

K-Gr 4–Gustav and Henri are ready for adventure, and in the first volume of this new series, they have plenty. The book is separated into three slightly connected stories. In “Gustav, Space Pig,” the pair construct a spaceship to retrieve a lost shuttlecock on the moon. Unfortunately the shuttlecock has been claimed by King Steve the Best, King of the Moon, and they have to figure out how to get it back and enjoy their game. Their second adventure, “Gustav, Time Pig,” has the two of them going back in time to return a late library book and avoid having their library privileges “permanently double-canceled” by the cranky librarian, Cassandra. Finally, in “Detective Gustav and the Great Pig Day Mystery,” Gustav must discover who among his party guests (King Steve, Cassandra, and a bewildered Robert Swan) stole the Pig Day cake he had made for Henri. This series is off to a fun start. The characters are well established right out of the gate and consistent throughout all three stories. Gustav is the impulsive one and Henri (actually short for Henrietta) is always there to get them out of trouble. Matthews makes the story fun and fast but never rushed. Despite a limited palette of blue, gray and black, Thomas’s art is a fantastic complement to the story. Every page is creative and interesting to look at.