Description

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In the fourth installment of Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris’s New York Times-bestselling series our heroes—First Cat, LOZ 4000, and the Moon Queen— encounter Captain Babybeard and his crew of swashbuckling pirates.

After Captain Babybeard steals a treasure map from the Queen of the Moon, the notorious pirate sees nothing but piles of gold in his future. But a mutiny, led by his first mate, the Martian Pirate James Plantain, leaves Babybeard marooned on a deserted island. Betrayed by his crew, the little captain seeks an unlikely alliance...
Will Captain Babybeard get revenge? Will First Cat, the Moon Queen, and LOZ 4000 recover their treasure map? Or will the moon fall into the hands of a nefarious banana?

*A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2025

About the Author

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Mac Barnett is the ninth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. He is a New York Times-bestselling author of more than 60 books for children. His picture books include two Caldecott Honor–winning collaborations with Jon Klassen: Extra Yarn and Sam & Dave Dig a Hole. Mac lives in Oakland, California. His website is macbarnett.com.

Shawn Harris is an award-winning author and illustrator of books for kids. His authorial debut Have You Ever Seen A Flower, was called a “stunning tour de force…” by The New York Times, and received a Caldecott Honor, while The Eyes and the Impossible, a #1 New York Times bestseller, written by Dave Eggers, was awarded the John Newbery Medal. The National Museum of Wildlife Art gave Shawn the Bull-Bransom Award, for excellence in the field of children’s book illustration with a focus on nature and wildlife for A Polar Bear in the Snow, by Mac Barnett, with whom he also creates The New York Times bestselling The First Cat In Space graphic novel series. Shawn lives in Half Moon Bay, California. When he’s not making books, he likes to sing, surf, and play racquetball.

Praise For…

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"Ridiculously fun and brilliantly illustrated.”  - Dav Pilkey, creator of Dog Man and Captain Underpants
"Barnett takes his readers on a fun-filled ride...Barnett's tone throughout the story is humorous, lighthearted, and a little glib, and the over-the-top story is sure to appeal to many readers...an enjoyable romp that will leave readers salivating for the sequel."  - Kirkus Reviews
"This volume continues the nonstop madcap fun; returning readers will not be disappointed, and new ones will quickly become avid followers of the world’s first feline astronaut. Fans of unbridled, melodramatic tomfoolery will be over the moon." - Kirkus Reviews
“A hilarious graphic novel.”  - New York Times
"With a perfectly absurd premise, dialogue that demands outlandish accents, and a plot that interweaves global history and complete silliness, Barnett royally nails it."  - Abby Hanlon, author of the Dory Fantasmagory series
"Funny as a crumpet. (But truly, secretly a hundred times smarter.)" - Jon Scieszka, author of Caldecott Honor The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales and the New York Times bestselling series Frank Einstein
"In full, vivid color, the loose cartoon style exudes an infectious glee, flawlessly matching Barnett’s freewheeling, absurdist humor and plotting." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Readers looking for the outer space high jinks and gentle humor of Brockington’s Catstronauts and the imaginative and fantastical worldbuilding of Andrews’s This Was Our Pact need look no further than this laugh-out-loud tale of the first cat in space." - School Library Journal (starred review)
"Barnett's knack for both quirky situational humor and heartfelt sentiment work in tandem to create a balanced-while still outrageous-early-chapter-book caper. Lowery's frequent cartoony black, yellow, and blue spot illustrations are integral to the narrative, providing clues to eagle-eyed readers and enhancing the humor."  - The Horn Book