Distant planets? Strange people? Robots, pirates and princes oh my! Fourth-grader Akiko is in for a wild time that starts with a mysterious note and leads her to the odd little planet Smoo.
Author: Mark Crilley
Akiko on the Planet Smoo is the first story about ordinary Akiko and her extraordinary adventures. It all starts when nine year-old Akiko and her friend Melissa are chatting about school and building a card house. It's a totally ordinary day until a mysterious letter arrives addressed "TO BE READ BY AKIKO AND NO ONE ELSE." Before she knows what's going on, Akiko is swept up on an interplanetary adventure with robots, aliens, strange food, a whole bunch of new friends and a mission to rescue a prince.
Characters
Mark Crilley has a real knack for writing simple, fun stories. His Akiko series is a real labor of love for him. He does the writing and the artwork for all the books so everything comes straight out of his imagination and fits together really well. The people Akiko meet are kooky and strange but friendly - except for the pirates. Her new best friends are the heroic Spuckler Boach, his robot Gax, the mysterious Poog and the braniac Mr. Beeba. Akiko herself is a cool kid who does her best to live up to everyone's expectations.
The Bottom Line
The best thing about Akiko's trip to the planet Smoo is how she overcomes obstacles. She's not a super-braniac and she can't leap tall buildings in a single bound. Instead she learns that even though she's scared a lot, she's still brave enough to face a horde of angry pirates! The Akiko series is a little goofy but fun, perfect for younger kidz and a fun read for older kidz too. It even comes with a mini-poster of Akiko and her friends.
Akiki and the Shrubly Islands Rating:
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