- Graphic Novels
- Ages 7–10
- Science Fiction
The First Cat in Space and the Wrath of the Paperclip
Book 3 of 4 in The First Cat in SpaceView the full series
Part of the Mac Barnett universeOpen the collection
A very funny third adventure that escalates the series with an evil paperclip, space dinosaurs and more knowingly ridiculous sci-fi stakes. It is a strong continuation for readers already invested in First Cat's oddball crew.
- 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.
The third First Cat in Space graphic novel sends the crew into another highly improbable crisis, this time involving an evil paperclip, space dinosaurs and the kind of logic that only makes sense in a Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris universe. First Cat remains the silent heroic centre, while the Moon Queen, LOZ 4000 and the wider cast keep the jokes, arguments and strange revelations moving at speed. The book is structurally more of an adventure quest than a pure gag collection, but the humour is constant: visual punchlines, deliberately silly dialogue, unexpected authorial asides and ridiculous villains all keep the tone buoyant. It suits children who enjoy sci-fi ideas but do not want anything too serious, as well as graphic-novel readers who like big panels, expressive art and fast movement through the page.
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 villain — an actual paperclip with ambitions for power, space dinosaurs as backup, the crew dealing with it because nobody else will. The third First Cat where the visual-gags-per-page count climbs again.
- Adventure and freedom
- Making a difference
- Friendship and belonging
- Having a nemesis
Why parents love it
The third First Cat — Barnett clearly enjoying himself, Harris's panels denser and stranger, more of a quest structure than a gag collection. Reliable for any reader four books deep into the absurdity. Best read in sequence.
- 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.
Where you’ll find it
On these reading lists.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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