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Pluto Rocket #1
Pluto Rocket: New in Town
Meet Pluto Rocket, a friendly alien, and Joe Pidge, a wise-cracking pigeon, in the first book of this hilarious new early graphic novel series, for fans of Narwhal and Jelly and Pizza and Taco!
Joe Pidge, not just a pigeon but also the stylish king of the neighborhood, is bobbing his way down the street one day when, all of a sudden, Pluto Rocket enters the scene. It turns out, Pluto is from another planet, and is disguising herself for her secret mission — to find out what life in the neighborhood is really like.
Lucky for Pluto, Joe Pidge has seen it all before, eaten it all before, and pooped on it all before, so he takes her under his wing and the two become fast friends. But Joe is the one who actually learns a thing or two and whose mind is blown by the out-of-this-world Pluto in this hilarious graphic novel series from Paul Gilligan, creator of the syndicated comic strip Pooch Cafe !
Joe Pidge, not just a pigeon but also the stylish king of the neighborhood, is bobbing his way down the street one day when, all of a sudden, Pluto Rocket enters the scene. It turns out, Pluto is from another planet, and is disguising herself for her secret mission — to find out what life in the neighborhood is really like.
Lucky for Pluto, Joe Pidge has seen it all before, eaten it all before, and pooped on it all before, so he takes her under his wing and the two become fast friends. But Joe is the one who actually learns a thing or two and whose mind is blown by the out-of-this-world Pluto in this hilarious graphic novel series from Paul Gilligan, creator of the syndicated comic strip Pooch Cafe !
88 pages, Hardcover
Published January 31, 2023
2 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Paul Gilligan
22 books22 followersPaul Gilligan writes and draws the syndicated comic strip Pooch Café, which has been twice nominated by the National Cartoonist Society for best strip. He’s the author/illustrator of the early-reader graphic novel series Pluto Rocket, the chapter book series King of the Mole People, and the graphic memoir Boy Vs. Shark. He lives in Toronto with his wife and kids, where he still rides his bike, and quite comfortably swims in lakes and pools, as long as nobody makes any “du-nuh” sounds.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
March 24, 2023
Pluto Rocket (PR) has come to our planet to study us; she is trying hard to understand our ways of doing things. She meets Joe Pidge (JP) - a very cool pigeon - who agrees to take her under his wing. But PR can do some amazing things: LIKE MAKE IT RAIN TACOS! A very fun book on friendship!
April 2, 2023
A silly book for kids that kept me amused throughout. An alien named Pluto Rocket comes to learn about Earthlings and meets up with Joe Pidge, a pigeon who is the "king of the neighborhood . . . master of style . . . " Pidge teaches Rocket about sharing and the strange dichotomy of standing out while blending in.
Goofy fun.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
Goofy fun.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
July 20, 2022
A fun read featuring an alien and a pigeon as main characters. Are we okay? Yes, we are!
The story is such a fun comic read with weird funny, wise crack characters. The dialogues are no brainer but they are hilarious.
The illustration is neat and well done I say!
If you're someone who follow comic strips religiously, you will definitely love this one.
Thank you, Penguin Random House Canada, for the advance reading copy.
*Comes out in January,2023
The story is such a fun comic read with weird funny, wise crack characters. The dialogues are no brainer but they are hilarious.
The illustration is neat and well done I say!
If you're someone who follow comic strips religiously, you will definitely love this one.
Thank you, Penguin Random House Canada, for the advance reading copy.
*Comes out in January,2023
January 8, 2024
Delightful! Absolutely loved it. I’m hungry for tacos now.
August 2, 2022
Very young-reading comic, with a pigeon with an ego the size of, well, somewhere big, meeting an alien here to witness Earthly life for itself. The first story is how they encourage and befriend the other in bursts of positivity, the second is what happens when the alien gets encouraged to try a taco, and learns about sharing as a result, and the third shows the dilemma of finding a safe ground somewhere between being exuberant and outstanding and being noticed as an alien and taken back home again. Joe Pidge is a fun character, full of himself but not dislikeable, and while Pluto Rocket is the childish innocent abroad and so less dynamic she will help make this a fine series in further books to come. I did find some odd choices of vocab for such a junior book, however – outstanding, formulate and “solarised proton particles”. I would have tweaked this to be even more accessible than it currently is, but beyond that there is little to fault. A good four stars.
June 26, 2023
⭐️Review⭐️
Pluto Rocket
This a cute little graphic novel about an alien creature and a pigeon and about being exactly who you are.
The graphics are really simple but bright and fun. Even my pre-readers like flipping through it because of the illustrations.
It’s a bit repetitive in its language for me but it works for the kids, especially with some of the bigger worlds or new idioms; they get lots of practice. It’s a good thing “mind blown” was already a part of their vocabulary because if it hadn’t been, it sure would be now.
My kids love it - all three of them - and I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve read it. Thank you so much to @penguinkids, @tundrabooks and @penguinrandomca for our gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
#kidsbooks #kidsread #plutorocket #booklover #reading #bookstagrammer #bookworm #bookish #readersofinstagram #bookaddict #booknerd #bookrecommendations #bookreview #booksofinstagram #bookshelf #bibliophile #bookphotography #bookblogger #bookcommunity #booklove #bookaholic #literature #booklovers #instabooks #canadianbookstagram #bookishcanadians
Pluto Rocket
This a cute little graphic novel about an alien creature and a pigeon and about being exactly who you are.
The graphics are really simple but bright and fun. Even my pre-readers like flipping through it because of the illustrations.
It’s a bit repetitive in its language for me but it works for the kids, especially with some of the bigger worlds or new idioms; they get lots of practice. It’s a good thing “mind blown” was already a part of their vocabulary because if it hadn’t been, it sure would be now.
My kids love it - all three of them - and I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve read it. Thank you so much to @penguinkids, @tundrabooks and @penguinrandomca for our gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
#kidsbooks #kidsread #plutorocket #booklover #reading #bookstagrammer #bookworm #bookish #readersofinstagram #bookaddict #booknerd #bookrecommendations #bookreview #booksofinstagram #bookshelf #bibliophile #bookphotography #bookblogger #bookcommunity #booklove #bookaholic #literature #booklovers #instabooks #canadianbookstagram #bookishcanadians
November 13, 2023
Pluto Rocket is an alien who lands on earth and just happens to meet Joe Pidge, a pigeon who's got something to prove-that he is the coolest pigeon around, the "Super Flavio". Pluto Rocket has come to learn all about Earth, but the problem is he's not supposed to be here. He left his planet secretly and he's got to stay incognito so that they don't come get him. But Joe Pidge doesn't believe in blending in because what good is that? Joe believes in standing out! Joe shows Pluto around and as they get into all sorts of situations (one of which involves raining tacos), Joe learns a thing or two from Pluto.
This is a really cute and fun graphic novel. I loved the illustrations and colors. They are vibrant but not overwhelmingly busy. The lesson and messages on sharing and friendship are also a win. The font size isn't too small making it a good read for lower elementary but I can see our upper elementary students loving this too.
This is a really cute and fun graphic novel. I loved the illustrations and colors. They are vibrant but not overwhelmingly busy. The lesson and messages on sharing and friendship are also a win. The font size isn't too small making it a good read for lower elementary but I can see our upper elementary students loving this too.
October 31, 2023
Pluto pigeon is the first book in a truly cute and sweet early readers graphic novel series.
I’m not sure who I liked better Pluto Rocket and her innocence or the most helpful Joe Pidge, resident wisecracker.
You must know Joe Pidge is the the stylish king of the neighborhood, known for bobbing his way down the street. One day he encounters Pluto Rocket, an alien from another planet. Her mission is to find out what life in the neighborhood is really like.
Joe Pidge, who has seen been there and done it all it all before, takes her under his wing and the two become fast friends as Joe Pidge shows Pluto Rocket something he claims to have invented…hugging. As the two ride off into the sunset to get the best ketchup fot the fries, Pluto Rocket’s planet has just noticed she is missing.
Stay tuned for more silliness and laughs.
I’m not sure who I liked better Pluto Rocket and her innocence or the most helpful Joe Pidge, resident wisecracker.
You must know Joe Pidge is the the stylish king of the neighborhood, known for bobbing his way down the street. One day he encounters Pluto Rocket, an alien from another planet. Her mission is to find out what life in the neighborhood is really like.
Joe Pidge, who has seen been there and done it all it all before, takes her under his wing and the two become fast friends as Joe Pidge shows Pluto Rocket something he claims to have invented…hugging. As the two ride off into the sunset to get the best ketchup fot the fries, Pluto Rocket’s planet has just noticed she is missing.
Stay tuned for more silliness and laughs.
April 15, 2023
As the resident "master of style, "Joe Pidge knows his neighborhood. So when a pink alien named Pluto Rocket comes to Earth and has the power to replicate, choosing Pidge's stylish hat, the pigeon takes offense. He decides to teach the newcomer to have his own "super-flavio style" along with sayings that "he invented." Add the conflict that our alien is not supposed to be on Earth, and these two learn about sharing and the importance of friendship over popularity. The illustrations contain mostly non-descript backgrounds that put the focus on the simply-outlined characters and ever-evolving attempts at hats.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program in exchange for an honest review.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program in exchange for an honest review.
April 15, 2023
‘ Pluto Rocket: New in Town’ with story and art by Paul Gilligan is a graphic novel for kids about an alien, who just wants to fit in.
When Pluto Rocket shows up in town, she is met by Joe Pidge, a pigeon. Joe is the stylish self-proclaimed king of the neighborhood. Pluto has been sent on a mission to discover what life is like in the neighborhood. Lucky for Pluto, Joe Pidge has seen it all, eaten it all, and pooped on it all before. Lucky for Joe, Pluto can make it rain tacos!
I liked this fun, laugh out loud graphic novel. Pluto and Joe are great characters, and the art is a lot of fun.
When Pluto Rocket shows up in town, she is met by Joe Pidge, a pigeon. Joe is the stylish self-proclaimed king of the neighborhood. Pluto has been sent on a mission to discover what life is like in the neighborhood. Lucky for Pluto, Joe Pidge has seen it all, eaten it all, and pooped on it all before. Lucky for Joe, Pluto can make it rain tacos!
I liked this fun, laugh out loud graphic novel. Pluto and Joe are great characters, and the art is a lot of fun.
August 7, 2024
This title is nominated for the 2025 Hackmatack Award in the English fiction category. This book is the first in a planned series featuring Pluto Rocket (an alien from outer space) and Joe Pidge (a pigeon, but cooler than your average pigeon). Both Pluto and Joe learn a thing or two about friendship, sharing, and the benefits of standing out in a crowd vs. blending in.
I liked it just fine, but I don't feel especially compelled to find out what happens next in the series. I would recommend this one to reluctant readers (anyone who struggles with too many words on a page), and kids who enjoy absurdist humour.
I liked it just fine, but I don't feel especially compelled to find out what happens next in the series. I would recommend this one to reluctant readers (anyone who struggles with too many words on a page), and kids who enjoy absurdist humour.
July 29, 2022
3.5/5 Cute, silly graphic novel for young readers about an alien visitor to earth who befriends a pigeon and learns all about 'the neighbourhood' from his new buddy. Full of bright, attractive illustrations and accessible, amusing text this short chapter book is sure to be a hit with readers aged 6-8. An enjoyable introduction to the world of Pluto Rocket, I look forward to adding this to my class library when it's published in early 2023! Thanks to NetGalley.co.uk and Penguin Random House Canada for the free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 19, 2023
Joe Pidge schools new arrival Pluto Rocket on how to stand out. But when she might attract too much attention, he shows her how to blend in. But which is best?
Joe Pidge thinks he's all that and a bag of chips. He's also a bit clueless about Pluto's alien status. And he might have a thing or two to learn about always being the best, or thinking he knows best. It's a little scifi adventure with a cute runaway alien and a prideful pigeon who still manages to make readers laugh. Hand this to lower grade readers who enjoy dynamic duos who have goofy adventures.
Joe Pidge thinks he's all that and a bag of chips. He's also a bit clueless about Pluto's alien status. And he might have a thing or two to learn about always being the best, or thinking he knows best. It's a little scifi adventure with a cute runaway alien and a prideful pigeon who still manages to make readers laugh. Hand this to lower grade readers who enjoy dynamic duos who have goofy adventures.
November 23, 2023
I fully believe we are in a wonderful time for graphic narratives (I'm using this term to cover the category which is way broader than simply comics and graphic novels) in that there are so many options out there and many creative ideas.
A funny and big-hearted story for younger readers, this follows the unlikely pairing of a happy-go-lucky newly-arrived extra-terrestrial and Joe, a pigeon full of braggadocio who takes it upon himself to show Pluto around. As you might imagine, the newcomer ends up doing most of the teaching.
A fun, bright, and appealing read for younger readers.
A funny and big-hearted story for younger readers, this follows the unlikely pairing of a happy-go-lucky newly-arrived extra-terrestrial and Joe, a pigeon full of braggadocio who takes it upon himself to show Pluto around. As you might imagine, the newcomer ends up doing most of the teaching.
A fun, bright, and appealing read for younger readers.
Read
December 6, 2023Funny and light hearted-would recommend for Sun Dogs. It was easy to read, easy to follow, and full of cool expressions and bright colours and fun characters. Pluto Rocket goes on a secret mission to check out another planet where he meets overly confident and self centered Joe Pidge. While Joe Pidge believes he knows everything and agrees to teach Pluto Rocket about being an "Earthling," it is Pluto Rocket who teaches Joe Pidge about what it means to be a friend-sharing, being kind, and sometimes thinking of others before yourself.
I think this would be a fun candidate for SD
I think this would be a fun candidate for SD
March 1, 2023
This was a very cute beginning reading, graphic novel. Pluto rocket is an alien who has come to earth find all the good things. They are on a secret mission and the first being they meet is Joe Pidge, who is a pigeon. Joe Pidge makes it his duty to show Pluto rocket all the best things there are, become best friends and have a fun adventure. Perfect for those moving from picture books into chapter books.
July 30, 2022
This was such a cute read!! I really had fun reading this, following Joe Pidge and Pluto Rocket becoming friends, hyping each other up (and themselves), and just being pals. I do think some of Joe Pidge's slang is a bit outdated (the bomb) but it's so cute regardless. I definitely want to check out more of these
September 23, 2022
This book is funny and quite a bit silly (that was my daughters review)
I read the book with my five year old daughter and she loved it
It was a bit wacky and out there and she really giggles at some of the pages
The illustrations are lovely too and really bring the story to life
It is 4 stars from me for this one - a fun little read and one I can see being a hit!
I read the book with my five year old daughter and she loved it
It was a bit wacky and out there and she really giggles at some of the pages
The illustrations are lovely too and really bring the story to life
It is 4 stars from me for this one - a fun little read and one I can see being a hit!
September 29, 2022
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
We are delighted to discover a great new series of graphic novel. The art work is simple but adorable, the story line easy to follow along and very funny, my daughter was hooked! The text wasn't as simple as she had thought, and provided a good reading challenge. Great book from every angle.
We are delighted to discover a great new series of graphic novel. The art work is simple but adorable, the story line easy to follow along and very funny, my daughter was hooked! The text wasn't as simple as she had thought, and provided a good reading challenge. Great book from every angle.
January 31, 2023
Pluto Rocket and Joe Pidge are the best dynamic duo since Batman met Robin.
Paul Gilligan combines great art with great prose. You can tell that this book is the cumulation of 30 years of creative genius and experience. Great for fans of Ben Clayton’s Narwall and Jelly series. Strongly recommended for your kid or for the kid inside of you.
Paul Gilligan combines great art with great prose. You can tell that this book is the cumulation of 30 years of creative genius and experience. Great for fans of Ben Clayton’s Narwall and Jelly series. Strongly recommended for your kid or for the kid inside of you.
October 19, 2023
Graphic Novel
Pluto Rocket meets Joe Pidge when he appears in the neighborhood. Joe takes him under his wing and shows Pluto the neighborhood. The two have wonderful adventures and find ways to support each other. Fun artwork keeps the energy high throughout the book. Love the hint at the end for future adventures.
Pluto Rocket meets Joe Pidge when he appears in the neighborhood. Joe takes him under his wing and shows Pluto the neighborhood. The two have wonderful adventures and find ways to support each other. Fun artwork keeps the energy high throughout the book. Love the hint at the end for future adventures.
December 6, 2023
Pluto Rocket is an alien visiting Earth to learn about its inhabitants when she meets Joe Pidge, master of style. Pluto is trying to blend in because she is not supposed to be on there, but Joe encourages her to be outstanding and takes her on the neighborhood tour. This series opener is funny, warm and sweet.
June 17, 2024
3 stars (I liked it)
This is a silly and fun graphic novel about an alien named Pluto Rocket who meets Joe Pidge during their secret mission to find out about Earth. While it is silly, there are also some good messages throughout like how to share and being a good friend and that you should be yourself.
This is a silly and fun graphic novel about an alien named Pluto Rocket who meets Joe Pidge during their secret mission to find out about Earth. While it is silly, there are also some good messages throughout like how to share and being a good friend and that you should be yourself.
October 17, 2025
This was the first graphic novel that I have consumed in audio book form. Yes, I do think that much must have been lost in translation! But the sound effects were great! And it was a very speedy read! There are four books in the series. However, I am stopping after book one. Joe Pigeon is a bit too much for me!
February 14, 2023
Tonight I sat down to read six new graphic novels. I enjoyed them all in their own way, but I ended up reading Pluto Rocket: New in Town by Paul Gilligan TWICE! Such an easy-to-follow layout & storyline, a lovable friendship, & laugh-out-loud funny convos. 5 stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
August 30, 2023
Lots of fun and giggles in this silly encounter with an alien. Might work paired with Adventures of Beekley. Of course when I share with kids I'll want to share tacos and french fries (probably just taco chips and potato sticks)
March 26, 2025
Pluto rocket is an alien, who comes to learn about the neighborhood. Pluto meets a pigeon named Joe who is convinced he is the best in the town, and who agrees to help Pluto get to know the neighborhood. Funny book that celebrates friendship and kindness.
February 24, 2023
I laughed way too hard at the alien pigeon. I think this is a fun and colourful early graphic that, while lacking in plot, had some really cute messages done really well for younger kids.
March 30, 2023
Super cute, made me laugh out loud a few times. My favourite young person will love it.
April 8, 2023
There is plenty of humor in this one about an alien creature who comes down and learns about sharing and friendship from an inwardly insecure but outwardly boisterous pigeon.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews