Rufus Blasts Off!

PreS-Gr 2—Rufus the pig's pirate shipmates are tired of all his books and want new stories. He comes up with a plan—he'll find new tales in space!—but his voyage has a firm opponent. "No pigs in space," says Commander Luna, who has good reasons: pigs leave nose prints on the view screens. They do cabin loop-the-loops. And they always want to press the buttons. Rufus tries and tries to win the commander over, but it's not until his reading skills are needed aboard that he finally blasts off. This amusing tale of a blankie-toting piglet will win over readers galore, even those who haven't read Griswell's and Gorbachev's Rufus Goes to School and Rufus Goes to Sea . It is gorgeously accompanied by bright, whimsical watercolors of the little astronaut, illustrations in which kids will find plenty of details to point out and savor. Persistent kids will love the vindication here; the book is also perfect for fans of Where the Wild Things Are , as it too features a voyage by a kid who doesn't play by the rules.