Kirkus Reviews QR Code
COUNTDOWN WITH MILO by Mike Austin

COUNTDOWN WITH MILO

From the Adventures of Milo & Mouse series

by Mike Austin & illustrated by Mike Austin

Pub Date: June 25th, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-60905-208-9
Publisher: Blue Apple

Milo and Mouse have an out-of-this-world adventure.

Cat and mouse buckle their seatbelts and head for the stars. The story focuses heavily on trip preparation. Mouse charts the course while Milo revs up the rocket. A vertical bar on the cover's edge provides a 10-second timeline that corresponds to specific actions within scenes and doubles as the countdown to takeoff. A bold “BLASTOFF!” in fiery orange against the royal blue sky depicts the rocket jetting off the page; smaller letters celebrate: “And away they go!” A maplike schematic depicts the steps of their journey, connecting the ambitious (“Visit Saturn!”) to the outrageous (“Hello, Alien!”) with more businesslike steps in between (“Discover new galaxies. Repair the satellite”). The final spread includes a nod to an American pioneer of the great beyond: “It's one small step for Mouse, / one giant leap for Milo!” Fine, frequently dotted lines and busy spreads gear this for toddlers and up.

An amusing, imaginative launch into outer space.

(Board book. 1-3)