Space Cadet Topo

October 25, 2010
Topo the mole is the creation of DGPH, a Buenos Aires design firm inspired by anime, science fiction, graffiti, and other threads of alt culture. In Topo's first picture book, the bucktooth cartoon mole is cast as a space cadet—a little bit Captain Kirk, a little bit Buzz Lightyear—and must save the world from a deep freeze by jump-starting the sun with a mystical "Galactic Flame" ("Only a true heart can take this torch," intones the flame's guardian wizard). But the flatly rendered, unfocused spreads look more like screen captures from a video game than narrative-driven illustrations, and the discursive text is far harder to track than most comic books. The few obstacles that arise, such as a "great monster" inside the sun, are immediately conquered, contributing to an overall lack of tension, despite frequent reminders of the urgency of Topo's mission. Children are liable to grow frustrated and bored, while grownups not enamored of kawaii (Japanese cute) may suspect the book is geared more toward driving readers to the Molestown Web site. Ages 4–8.

October 15, 2010

Space Cadet Topo and his trusty sidekick Tinny Bot Girl set off to rescue the universe after the sun goes dark and cold. DGPH represents the trio of Argentinean designers who created Molestown, an animated game on the Internet, images from which have been used in prints, toys, T-shirts and accessories worldwide. This, the first book in English to use Molestown characters, features a standard video-game plot and some very loose science, including the curious idea that the sun warms our whole galaxy. Several pages are devoted to introducing the neighborhood, Topo's home in the Donut Station, his job and the robots that help him, but eventually the story, "Mission 215," begins. Topo has one hour to turn on the sun. Full-bleed full-color cartoons show them zipping through deep space to the last planet in the galaxy to retrieve the burning matchstick called "the galactic flame" and back to descend deep into the sun, facing down the monster guardian of the sun's core, in order to relight its fire. Only for pre-existing fans of the game and merchandise this book so nakedly shills. (Picture book. 4-7)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

January 1, 2011

K-Gr 2-Space Cadet Topo has to turn the sun back on and save the galaxy from freezing to death in this picture book by DGPH, an Argentinean design firm that has created the online bilingual (Spanish, English) animated game, Molestown. The digitally mastered illustrations create a galaxy that reads more like a video game than a picture book. Textual labels and minimal content introduce Cadet Topo; his home, the Donut Station; and his friends, including Tinny Bot Girl, Tin Bot Boy, and the Computron that is always connected to Cadet Topo in case of an emergency. An emergency is what they have when Cadet Topo wakes up freezing one morning and learns that he has an hour to complete a quest that will have him flying across the galaxy, prove he's worthy to hold the Galactic Flame, and find the inner core of the sun to reignite it before it is too late. The cluttered spreads detailing the ensuing journey are full of twists, turns, and traps one would expect to find in classic platform video games, and the limited narration blends with the all blue/brownish background, making the story of the protagonist's exploits more of a visual experience. High on action, but lacking character development or detailed plot, this book will appeal to those familiar with Molestown characters and fans of computer games.-Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2010
Grades 1-3 Space Cadet 3X-245 (aka Topo) is a do-gooder cosmonaut who monitors the universe from the deck of his space station. When the sun mysteriously gets switched off, he hops into his spaceship to retrieve the Galactic Flame and relight the thing before all the planets freeze up. Striking heroic poses and pointing as gravely off into the starry cosmos as a bucktoothed space mole could, Topo flits around inventive page compositions and elaborate multilevel settings that kids handy at navigating video-game landscapes will love running their eyes over. Argentinean design firm DGPH doles out plenty of ludicrous fun as Topo laser-blasts a random monster blocking the entrance to the suns control center and finally has to rely on his timid helper bot to save the day. With discreet bits of text scattered about each page, this high-octane sf adventure is better suited for independent readers than for reading aloud, though adults will want to use their best digital monotones to voice Topos handy Computron.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)