LASER MOOSE AND RABBIT BOY

A moose that can shoot laser beams out his eyes—what could be better?

The titular moose (whose abnormal ocular powers are never explained) and his gentle rabbit friend live together in a charming pastoral wood. However, Laser Moose knows that danger can lurk around every tree. In action-filled, largely wordless sequences, the pair battle flower-chomping extraterrestrials; the fearsome blue mutant Aquabear; and the mechanically equipped, destruction-bent Mechasquirrel created by the nefarious Cyborgupine. Playing off their differences, Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy make a wonderfully droll team; Laser Moose is suspicious of everything and prefers to shoot first (which has some unfortunate ramifications for some of his forest brethren), while Rabbit Boy is optimistic and unfalteringly upbeat. Throughout their exploits, the pair holds fast to their archetypes, giving this the peppy feel of animated cartoons. Big, bright panels with simple, line-based, flat illustrations rocket their adventures along as they battle their foes, keeping attention focused on the action. Savage includes an additional vignette about how lasers work. With this appealing yet oddball premise, a lovably bizarre cast of characters, and high visual allure, this should be an easy sell for young readers.

With rampant whimsy and cheerful silliness, expect this to hit funny bones with laser accuracy.