Mega-Dogs of New Kansas

September 1, 2020

Gr 3-6-Nearly 300 years in the future, Sienna Barlow lives on New Kansas, where gigantic canines known as mega-dogs are bred to protect Earthlings who have settled on the planet. Sienna, whose parents breed and train the canines, loves to explores with her dog, Gus, but her anxiety makes her clam up around other kids. Kevin, a new kid who thinks she's stuck-up, plays a prank on her and Gus during Vice President Hale's visit. (The political reasoning for his visit is a bit convoluted, especially for the intended age group.) Kevin drops a diamond ant onto Gus, which makes him itch uncontrollably, but when Gus accidentally wreaks havoc, the vice president is turned against the entire mega-dog program and Gus is locked up. To prevent him from being put down, Sienna busts him out, and the two of them run off in a spaceship-with Kevin as their stowaway. Together, they brave the wilds of New Kansas and uncover valuable information regarding the outpost's new power plant. Khouri's expressive artwork features a muted palette reminiscent of vintage space comics. Sienna is tan-skinned with black hair, while Kevin is light-skinned and blond; characters throughout appear to be diverse. While the story is scattershot and the thread about Sienna's anxiety is dropped once she and Kevin have to work together, there's enough adventure to keep readers turning pages. VERDICT This space age graphic novel doesn't quite live up to its premise, but dog fans will be pleased.-Gretchen Hardin, Bee Cave P.L., TX

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 14, 2020
Fifty-six light years from Earth and owned by the North American Triumvirate (NAT)—a group of companies that have outsourced food production to space—New Kansas is home to agri-outpost Alexandria. There, brown-skinned Sienna Barlow has a boon companion in Mega-Dog Gus, an “unsanctioned genetic engineering experiment” created by Sienna’s mother, a scientist at the compound. Gus and the other Mega-Dogs protect Alexandria’s dust crows from large, hissing reptiles known as rippers. Sienna struggles to make friends with local kids, who misconstrue her social anxiety for snobbery. When a NAT v-p pays a visit to check on Alexandria’s power plant and the Mega-Dogs’ long-term viability, two boys pull a prank that places Gus in danger of extermination, prompting Sienna to escape with Gus on a stolen scouting ship. After crashing far away from the settlement, Sienna, Gus, and a stowaway fight to return home and warn about the power plant’s unexpected environmental impacts. Khouri’s expressive full-color art uses a desert palette but often feels disconnected from the text, especially where emphatic dialogue meets statuesque characters. A male-dominated power structure at times
feels uncomfortable, and a lack of accountability for harmful acts leaves
this space adventure’s resolution wanting. Sienna’s anxiety and coping mechanisms, however, are sensitively rendered throughout. Ages 9–10. (Oct.)■

August 15, 2020
Fifty-six light-years from Earth, a young girl and her prodigious pup try to navigate their extraterrestrial outpost. In the year 2318, Sienna Barlow lives with her parents on New Kansas, in the agricultural settlement of Alexandria. Her father is the mayor, and her mother, Marion, is the head dog trainer. Marion breeds mega-dogs: gigantic canines that help herd the dust crows, a large emu-like bird. Sienna has her own shaggy, good-natured mega-dog named Gus, a constant companion who helps her with her extreme anxiety, which often leaves her unable to talk to the other kids. After a prank perpetrated by a couple other kids goes amiss, a visiting politician deems the mega-dogs dangerous, and Gus is impounded. Sienna and Gus steal a spaceship to run away, but the ship crashes shortly after takeoff. Her survival depends on her ability to work with another young boy named Kevin who had stowed away on their transport. They soon learn that the danger they face may be bigger than they ever imagined. Jolley's graphic offering is very clever, with its accessible worldbuilding abetted by Khouri's eye-catching sepia-hued illustrations. Sienna's social anxiety is palpable on the page, and her struggles are handled in an approachable way. Sienna has olive skin and straight, dark hair; Kevin presents White. Secondary and background characters are racially diverse. An inventive intergalactic romp. (Graphic science fiction. 8-13)

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