The lovable aerospace animal assemblage returns in search of another hospitable planet for Earth's inhabitants.After striking out in their first mission (AstroNuts Mission One: The Plant Planet, 2019), the four agents of NNASA-LaserShark, StinkBug, SmartHawk, and AlphaWolf-are back to investigate another potential planet for Earth's residents, this time with modifications that give each one a special power. Their ship, built from Thomas Jefferson's nose from Mount Rushmore, rockets them to the Water Planet, where they meet its president, P.T. Clam. Brimming with hyperbole and effusive praise, P.T. bombastically extols his home planet and offers the AstroNuts to swap the Water Planet for Earth, promising to filter Earth's polluted waters. Noticing the others' reticence, P.T. quietly offers Mission Leader AlphaWolf a side deal appealing to his vanity. But soon, another clam named Susan B. Clamthony approaches LaserShark and sheds some light on P.T.'s true scheme. Narrated by Earth, this sophomore volume continues with all the same punchy puns and visual panache as its predecessor. Scieszka skillfully weaves in facts about climate change and environmental and social commentary into his jet-propelled zaniness, bringing a subtle undercurrent of relevance into a seemingly goofy tale. With its now-familiar collages utilizing a dazzling psychedelic array of color, the series will delight fans, although this volume is a fine jumping-in point for new readers as well.A high energy follow-up proving silly can still be smart. (Graphic science fiction hybrid. 8-12)

Gr 4-6 The ragtag AstroNuts crew continue their mission of finding a Goldilocks planet (not too hot, not too cold, but just right) as a new home as Earth becomes more and more polluted. The AstroNutsAstroWolf, LaserShark, SmartHawk, and StingBugtake off in their rocket, the sculpted beak of Thomas Jefferson's effigy on Mount Rushmore. They crash land on a water planet, get aquatic body enhancements, and tumble from their ship to be greeted by the mayor, a giant clam wearing a top hat and determined to get the AstroNuts to swap Earth for his home planet. The illustrious water planet seems too good to be true and is revealed as such by the leader of an underground clam resistance sect led by Susan B. Clamthony. The AstroNuts must deal with a possible mutiny within their own crew; the fast-talking, smarmy clam mayor; and an upheaval of epic proportions when the resistance emerges from their underground headquarters. Graphs, anatomy charts, and infographics give the pictures and text a tongue-in-cheek gravitas that will have delighted readers returning for more. Weinberg's use of collage is charming; he superimposes whimsical cartoons onto classical works of art taken from places such as the Rijksmuseum. This reuse of images also helps to underline the heavy ecological messages of the book: reuse and recycle. The author leaves no possible clam pun or wordplay unused, which gets a bit tedious by the conclusion. However, in true Scieszka style, the majority of the book is a joyful exploration of what he does bestmake the known seem absurd and the absurd seem perfectly reasonable. VERDICT A funny, ridiculous journey into space infused with a thoughtful ecological message.Jennie Law, Georgia State Univ., Atlanta