Publishers Weekly
Favorite characters and series come to the fore this fall. Hedgie Blasts Off! by Jan Brett brings back the star of Hedgie's Surprise, who here is an aspiring astronaut in charge of the cleaning crew at Star Lab. When Big Sparkler, a volcano and huge tourist attraction on the planet Mikkop, begins to lose its sparkle, it's up to Hedgie to save the day, and he triumphs in a glittery gatefold. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 3-Hedgie the hedgehog is back. Aspiring to become an astronaut, he works as a member of the cleanup crew for the Star Lab run by the Professor (a dog), who is "the smartest scientist on Earth" and "in charge of Outer Space." On the tiny planet of Mikkop, an erupting crater called the Big Sparkler, a popular tourist attraction, is inexplicably slowing down. The Professor orders his team to build a small spaceship that can carry a robotic astronaut into space to assess the problem. When the robot malfunctions, Hedgie is the only one who can fit into the vehicle, and off he zooms. Brett's color illustrations are filled with humorous details, including eager reporters (an owl, a flamingo, a toucan, and a cockatoo, whose postures convey their avid impatience) and whimsical spaceships filled with comical alien tourists. Small groups can easily view the richly hued art, although many scenes merit closer inspection. Children will cheer for this intrepid hedgehog as he solves the problem of the plugged crater.-Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Fans of Brett's Hedgie will enjoy his predictable triumph in this lighthearted space adventure. Despite Brett's artistic ability, those unfamiliar with the small, spiky hero are likely to be less enthralled. This time around, Hedgie works as a janitor at a space lab populated by anthropomorphized dogs. When a volcano on a small planet named Mikkop ceases to function properly, the canine scientists create a "Rescue Robot," coincidentally shaped just like Hedgie. The robot's malfunction clears the way for Hedgie to achieve his heart's desire: a flight into space. He solves the problem of the volcano (visitors had been tossing coins into it for luck, plugging up the hole from which the magical flower-feeding "sparkles" erupted) and returns to earth. Although Brett includes a wealth of visual detail, much of it humorous, the slight story is unlikely to hold up to repeated readings. The use of a foldout page depicting a glittery eruption gives the book a gimmicky feel. Despite his obvious enthusiasm for space travel, this is not one of Hedgie's most successful outings. (Picture book. 6-8)
