Akiko on the Planet Smoo [Hardcover]

Mark Crilley (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Akiko

When this fourth-grader comes home from school one day, she finds an envelope waiting for her with no stamp and no return address. The message inside reads Dear Akiko: We are coming to get you. Meet us outside your bedroom window tonight at 8:00. Don't forget your toothbrush. How could anyone meet her outside her window? She lives on the 17th floor, for goodness sake. But that evening, as Akiko is preparing to study for tomorrow's geography test, she finds a small spacecraft hovering outside her window with two odd little men inside. They have been sent to whisk Akiko off to the Planet Smoo where she will lead a team enlisted to find the King of Smoo's kidnapped son, Prince Froptoppit. Akiko, the leader of a rescue mission? She's too timid to be on the school's safety patrol! So begins Akiko's adventure across the land of Smoo to find a prince and become a leader.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Akiko on the Planet Smoo was first created as a comic book and teaching tool, but with plenty of spit and polish, Mark Crilley's flights of fancy have been transformed into a light, illustrated adventure novel in the topsy-turvy tradition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Ten-year-old Akiko is embroiled in typical fourth-grade trials and tribulations when she gets a strange, silvery letter in the mail. The letter instructs her to be ready at 8:00 that night (with her toothbrush), but she is anything but prepared when a goofy-looking spaceship hovers outside her 17th-story apartment window and takes her to the planet Smoo.

Akiko soon learns from the spaceship's crew that she--of all humans on earth--has been chosen to rescue Prince Froptoppit from an evil, misguided kidnapper. Though she tries to persuade the King, Bip, and Bop that they have the wrong girl (she doesn't even want to be the leader of the girls' safety patrol at school), the friendly trio seems to think she'd be perfect for the job anyway. The quest is not easy. Akiko and a curious, old-fashioned cast of characters (including the scholarly Mr. Beeba; the warbly, incomprehensible Poog; the swashbuckling Spuckler; and Spuckler's rusty robot, Gax) encounter the dreaded Sky Pirates and later, engage in cartoonish, gladiator-style fights with robots and fire-breathing Jaggasaurs. And just like Dorothy in Oz, Akiko finds her courage and faces up to the Jaggasaur, shouting, "You should be ashamed of yourself! Who do you think you are, bullying a scrawny little man like that? Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Young readers may learn that they have more courage than they think. The adventure ends happily, but the book draws to a close before Prince Froptoppit can be rescued. Stay tuned for continuing adventures? (Ages 8 to 12) --Karin Snelson

From Publishers Weekly

In this stylish debut, aliens from the Planet Smoo summon an Earth girl to find a kidnapped prince. Fourth-grader Akiko admits she has no experience as a rescuer: "I'm only ten years old... I don't have many years of anything." Nevertheless, Smoo's humanoid King Froptoppit insists that she help him to retrieve the prince from "an evil, misguided" Alia Rellapor. As exasperated yet compliant as Alice at the Mad Tea Party, Akiko agrees to lead the mission. The novel gets off to a rollicking start as she meets her teammates, among them a Han Solo-like spaceship pilot and a being called Poog, "a floating head... covered by pale purple-white skin that shimmered like smooth leather." Crilley gives Akiko a conversational voice and global flair. With her chunky pigtails and oversize eyes, the character looks like a cross between an anime character and a Raggedy Ann doll; her comical cyborg sidekicks recall sources as varied as Douglas Adams and Tintin author Herge. The rescuers spend the rest of the book battling and escaping a ruthless band of Sky Pirates and never even glimpse Alia Rellapor. After a dramatic buildup, Crilley leaves his well-drawn characters idling in outer space, awaiting the sequel. Those who prefer closure may be disappointed, but everyone else will likely stay on to complete the ride. All ages. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (February 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385327242
• ISBN-13: 978-0385327244
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,313,675 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Akiko zooms into all-out action!, February 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Akiko on the Planet Smoo (Hardcover)

Akiko on the Planet Smoo is a wonderful story about a ten year old girl who is asked to lead a mission to rescue a prince who just happens to be from another planet. The problem is that Akiko doesn't want to be a leader. She is content just to be on the sidelines.

The main characters who make up Akiko's rescue team are very colorful and somewhat eccentric. Spuckler is the swashbuckling, take action type. Mr. Beeba is the scholarly, but very cautious one. Gax is Spuckler's loyal rusty robot. And Poog is the mysterious, floating ball with big eyes.

The story has Jaggasaurs that make Godzilla look wimpy, giant robots that outshine those in Star Wars, huge flying pirate ships, and heart-stopping action that will leave you breathless!

The author and artist, Mark Crilley, does a wonderful job of fleshing out the characters without slowing down all the action. His illustrations throughout the book are simply amazing. Underneath all the action and adventure, Akiko on the Planet Smoo is really about a ten year old girl who discovers the true potential that is inside us all.

A little bit of the Wizard of Oz and a touch of Star Wars make Akiko an exciting read for children and adults. I give this book my highest recommendation!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for All Ages, May 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Akiko on the Planet Smoo (Hardcover)

"Akiko on the Planet Smoo" is the kind of children's book that succeeds in doing what all my favorite books did for me when I was a kid: it transports the reader into a strange and exciting new world, and stimulates the imagination with unique characters and fantastic situations. Also like my favorite children's books, "Akiko on the Planet Smoo" keeps the reader grounded by using an "ordinary" kid (in this case, a fourth-grade Earth girl named Akiko) as the narrator. As in "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," the fantasy elements in "Akiko on the Planet Smoo" become somehow more realistic when seen through the eyes of someone who's used to a normal life on planet Earth. The author, Mark Crilley, does an excellent job of vividly describing the action from a kid's perspective. I felt like I was standing right beside Akiko when she met King Froptoppit and the rest of her rescue party pals (the bookish Mr. Beeba is my personal favorite, with the enigmatic floating head known as Poog coming in at a close second). Thanks to Mr. Crilley's skillful handling of the material, floating cars, Sky Pirates and robots all make perfect sense while on the planet Smoo, no matter how unbelievable they might seem here on Earth.

But honestly, the best part about "Akiko on the Planet Smoo" is not initially noticeable to the casual reader. Mr. Crilley has provided a message that's invaluable to kids: they don't have to be grown-ups to make a difference. Akiko is a shy girl who isn't eager to take on too many responsibilities. When she gets whisked away to the planet Smoo and put in charge of a rescue party, she's convinced there must be some kind of mistake. She's no leader and has no idea how she's supposed to go about rescuing the Prince of Smoo. If it were up to her, she wouldn't even accept the job, but fortunately for her (and for us!), the King doesn't really give her much of a choice. As the story progresses, Akiko learns that she's capable of ALL KINDS of things, including the capability to be an excellent leader. Now, Mr. Crilley certainly doesn't bang his readers over the head with this lesson. He's mostly interested in telling a good story, not preaching self-sufficiency to kids. The moral just helps to insure that "Akiko on the Planet Smoo" will reach the status of "classic" long after most contemporary children's books disappear into oblivion.

So, if you're looking for something to read to your kids, or if you're looking for a way to relive your childhood, "Akiko on the Planet Smoo" is the book for you. Mr. Crilley is a real pro. He succeeded in making me relive parts of my childhood I'd all but forgotten; and that's a good thing, because they were some of the BEST parts I risked losing. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

(By the way, if you like Mr. Crilley's illustrations in this book, I would highly recommend picking up his "Akiko" graphic novels, which this book is based on. They're available at this website, too!)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An all-ages pleaser, March 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Akiko on the Planet Smoo (Hardcover)

Mark Crilley's _Akiko on the Planet Smoo_ is one of those rare gems that both children and adults can enjoy. The story chronicles the adventures of fourth-grader Akiko, as she journeys to the far-off planet Smoo to rescue a missing prince.

The strength of the book lies in Crilley's portrayal of the main and supporting characters. Each one has a specific and different motivation and perspective, but they surprisingly complement each other well, from bookish Mr. Beeba, to swashbuckling Spuckler; from the mysterious Poog to the robot Gax; and especially little Akiko's relationship to them all.

The author does a good job making this text accessible to younger readers as well as veterans of fantasy fiction. Seeing the story through the eyes of Akiko helps the reader to identify with her situation, and with her important mission. Be aware, though, that the book is only the first part in a much larger story arc.

If you enjoy the fantasy storytelling stylings of JK Rowling's _Harry Potter_ series, you should find _Akiko on the Planet Smoo_ a delightful excursion, as well.