- Graphic Novels
- Ages 7–10
- Science Fiction
The First Cat in Space and the Soup of Doom
Book 2 of 4 in The First Cat in SpaceView the full series
Part of the Mac Barnett universeOpen the collection
A bigger, sillier second mission with soup, sabotage and the same oddball space-team charm. It keeps the high visual energy of book one while adding more series-world momentum.
- Best for7–10
- FormatGraphic
- Length272 pp
- Read aloud~2 hr10 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
- Onomatopoeic
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Exciting
- Adventurous
- Absurdist
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
First Cat, the Moon Queen and LOZ 4000 are back for another absurd space mission, this time involving secret histories, suspicious soup and plans that are far more dangerous than they first appear. The series continues to combine proper sci-fi adventure structure with gleefully ridiculous comedy, so the reader gets both a reason to keep turning pages and a steady stream of silly dialogue, expressive panels and unexpected digressions. The appeal is the team dynamic as much as the plot: a heroic cat, a royal moon leader and a robot who keeps becoming funnier and more lovable as the series goes on. The book is chunkier than an early reader but visually generous enough to feel manageable, making it a strong choice for confident younger comic readers and reluctant readers ready for a satisfying graphic novel.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 7–10
- Read aloud · 6–10
- Independent · 7–11
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
- Dog man fans
- Investigators fans
- Space adventure
- Silly humour
- Visual readers
Avoid if
- Prefers realistic stories
- Prefers calm books
- Needs low visual density
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Struggling with reading
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A gloriously silly sci-fi comic series — a reluctant-reader pleaser and classroom-library staple.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific kick is the suspicious soup — the Queen's chef inventing something that may or may not be poisonous, the cat astronaut and the toenail robot and the loyalty mouse on the case. The second First Cat with even more inventive Shawn Harris spreads.
- Adventure and freedom
- Making a difference
- Friendship and belonging
- Animal companions
Why parents love it
The second First Cat — same brilliantly weird formula, the world expanded, LOZ 4000 becoming funnier and more lovable. One of the most visually inventive children's graphic-novel series in print. Best after the first; chunkier than it looks.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
- Conversation starter
In the series
The First Cat in Space.
4 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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