- Graphic Novels
- Ages 5–8
- Comedy
Pluto Rocket: New in Town
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Book 1 in Pluto RocketView the full series
A wise-cracking street pigeon takes a friendly alien in disguise under his wing in this joke-packed early graphic novel. Pure fish-out-of-water comedy with a big warm heart, for readers ready for their first longer comics.
- Best for5–8
- FormatGraphic
- Length88 pp
- Read aloud~41 min
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Comedic
- Conversational
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Warm
- Adventurous
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Meet Joe Pidge, not just any pigeon but the stylish, wise-cracking king of the neighbourhood, who has seen it all, eaten it all, and pooped on it all. So when a strange visitor called Pluto Rocket lands on his patch, Joe is exactly the guide she needs. Pluto, it turns out, is an alien in disguise, on a secret mission to discover what life on Earth is really like, and Joe cheerfully shows her the ropes: how to rock a personal style, master the local slang, and above all savour the glory of tacos. Told in three chapters of classic fish-out-of-water shenanigans, Paul Gilligan's first Pluto Rocket adventure is a laugh-out-loud, speech-bubble-driven delight from the creator of the comic strip Pooch Café. With expressive cartooning, snappy dialogue and a genuinely tender friendship at its centre, it is an ideal stepping stone for newly independent readers moving up from Elephant & Piggie into longer comics.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
An early graphic novel that suits confident 5-6s reading with help and 6-9s reading alone, with the visual humour making it a fun shared read-aloud too. There's no peril or scary content, so it works for any listener, and the joke-a-page style invites plenty of rereads.
- 1
- 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
5 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Funny graphic novels
- Reluctant readers
- New to graphic novels
- Animal lovers
Avoid if
- Wants calm bedtime
- Wants realistic stories
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Joe Pidge is the coolest, sassiest pigeon around, and watching him teach a clueless alien how to eat tacos and talk cool is properly funny. Every page has a joke, and Pluto's baffled reactions to normal Earth stuff make you feel like you're in on the secret.
- Friendship and belonging
- Adventure and freedom
- Trickery and cleverness
Why parents love it
It hands early readers a real comic with speech bubbles, visual gags and short chapters that build reading confidence without a scary word in sight. The Joe-and-Pluto double act is warm and quotable, and the taco-loving humour lands just as well when you're reading it 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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