David Walliams (text) & Adam Stower (Illustrator), AstroChimp, HarperCollins Publishers, June 2024, 224 pp., RRP $22.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780008649555
Chump the chimp loved to show off. He was always up to his silly antics. He would:
– make rude noises from BOTH ENDS (Oops!)
– pick his nose with his little toe (Oh! No!)
– eat the skins of bananas, hurtling out the tasty part inside (What?)
So, when he is chosen by NASA’s scientists to journey into space to orbit the earth and test the feasibility of human space travel, he is delighted at the prospect of the adventure but has no idea that the trip was wrought with danger. Not the brightest chimp on the planet, or in space for that matter, Chump is also incredibly clumsy. Hurtling happily through space, he inadvertently presses a button with which he freezes himself. He spends the following fifty years deep in space – until one day he is rudely awakened by a swash buckling space pirate.
And the mayhem begins! The space pirate is a dog named Dmitri who is intent on robbing Chump’s spaceship. Everything deteriorates from here on and is also the beginning of a mission to save planet Earth.
Chump joins forces with Dmitri and the jet-pack wearing, chic French cat, Bardot. The tension rises, as they team up to defeat the mutated super-intelligent mega sized fruit flies, and an unidentified globe shaped object travelling at super sonic speed on a collision course with Earth.
Let the countdown begin! Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. BLAST OFF! For readers who love a far-fetched and laugh-out-loud space comedy this is the graphic novel for you. There are encounters with dog space pirates, cloned cats, evil fruit flies and the most hapless chimp you are ever likely to meet.
David Walliams never disappoints. His comedic style is perfectly pitched for children and adults alike. Readers will find themselves laughing out loud at the hilarious space adventures of this motley crew.
Illustrated by Adam Stower, in a colourful comic book style, AstroChimp is a vivid, visual spectacle that is sure to further encourage readers to immerse themselves in this incredibly funny and fun filled adventure.
Interestingly, this imaginary tale is based on real animals that have been propelled into space over time. At the end of the book readers can find a brief history of animals in space thus providing a platform for further investigation into NASA’s use of animals for space research.
So, grab your bananas, buckle up, and prepare to take a journey into the frontier of deep space with AstroChimp and the crew in this wonderfully entertaining cosmic adventure.
Recommended for ages 6+
Reviewed by Julie Deane
