The King of Space

Rex is an ordinary six-year-old living on a 'moog' farm in deep space. Bored with school and farm chores, he uses his ingenuity and his friends (unwittingly) to build a robot army and conquer the neighboring planets. However, when the Galactic Alliance catches up to him, Rex finds that being a King is scary work, and he is relieved when his mother arrives to de-escalate the situation and bring him home. SENSITIVE TOPICS: The book deals with 'war' and 'conquest' in a highly metaphorical and cartoonish way. There is no actual violence, just the threat of being in trouble with the law. The resolution is hopeful and grounded in the safety of the family unit. EMOTIONAL ARC: The story begins with high-energy confidence and ego, builds to a peak of frantic realization that the protagonist has gone too far, and ends with a warm, grounding return to domestic safety. IDEAL READER: A high-energy 6 or 7-year-old who loves building things and often gets 'carried away' with their own games, especially one who struggles with listening to authority but has a soft spot for their parents. PARENT TRIGGER: A child who is currently 'bossing' their peers or refusing to do chores because they believe they are 'in charge' of the house. PARENT PREP: The book is safe to read cold, though parents should be ready to talk about the 'aliens' and 'robots' as playthings versus real threats. Note that the Wikipedia summary provided refers to a different adult science fiction novel with the same title; this picture book is strictly for young children. AGE EXPERIENCE: Younger children (5-6) will love the 'moogs' and the cool machines, while older children (7-9) will appreciate the irony of Rex's overconfidence and the humor of his 'conquest' being thwarted by a simple parental scolding. DIFFERENTIATOR: Duddle's cinematic, highly detailed digital art style makes this feel like a Pixar movie on the page, and the specific focus on a 'villainous' protagonist who is actually just a lovable kid is a refreshing twist on the hero trope.