- Graphic Novels
- Ages 5–8
- Comedy
Pluto Rocket: Full Blast
Book 3 in Pluto RocketView the full series
Joe and Pluto finally leave the neighbourhood, and a casual stroll spirals into a high-speed chase, an accidental hero moment, and a scramble to build a rocket. The most action-packed Pluto Rocket yet.
- Best for5–8
- FormatGraphic
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Comedic
- Conversational
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Exciting
- Adventurous
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Pluto Rocket and Joe Pidge are back, and this time they leave the safety of Joe's neighbourhood to explore the wider world, all part of Pluto's secret mission to prove that Earthlings really are nice. For a pigeon who has never strayed far from home, this is well outside Joe's comfort zone, and what begins as a casual walk into a new town quickly turns into a high-speed chase, with Joe utterly convinced they're being hunted by a wolf (it is, in fact, a poodle). Pluto's irrepressible habit of helping everyone she meets soon has the pair celebrated as local heroes, but fame has a downside: when word of their exploits reaches Pluto's home planet, the duo suddenly need to escape to the moon, and fast, which naturally means learning to build a rocket. Paul Gilligan cranks up the pace in this third outing, packing in chases, mistaken identities and a wolf that isn't, while keeping the warm friendship and speech-bubble comedy that make the series such a reliable win for newly independent readers.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
The liveliest Pluto Rocket so far, ideal for 5-6s with a helper and 6-9s reading alone, and a lot of fun aloud. The 'peril' is entirely comic (a poodle mistaken for a wolf), so it stays gentle while offering more chase-driven excitement and a light thread about being brave.
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- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 5–8
- Read aloud · 4–7
- Independent · 6–9
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Funny graphic novels
- Reluctant readers
- Action comedy
- Animal lovers
Avoid if
- Wants calm bedtime
- Wants realistic stories
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
This one is fast and silly: Joe panicking about a 'wolf' that's actually a poodle is hilarious, and the pair accidentally becoming heroes then having to build a rocket to escape is exactly the kind of chaos you want. Loads of action, loads of jokes.
- Adventure and freedom
- Friendship and belonging
- Surviving danger
Why parents love it
The pace picks up here without ever getting frightening, so it keeps momentum for reluctant readers while staying utterly gentle. Joe's cowardice-turned-courage is quietly encouraging, and the visual comedy is a joy to perform aloud.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
In the series
Pluto Rocket.
4 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Paul Gilligan.
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