a portal to another dimension opens up and sucks Joseph into its vortex. As his illustrations gently lead you by the hand and deeper into the story, Zita does indeed push that big red button.

But in the midst of this playful opportunity for Zita (Joseph, hesitant and careful, doesn’t quite see it the same way), she stumbles upon what she thinks is a meteoroid crater. Zita – curious and confident – jumps into the crater and picks up what is certainly NOT a meteoroid. It’s actually a metallic-looking remote control, with a huge red button! And, as you may predict, while Joseph is leery of this new found object and its tempting big red button, Zita really, really, really wants to push that button. In fact, Hatke’s illustrations are so well executed that he needs virtually no words to show you just how curious and inevitable Zita’s pushing of that button will be.

The first time the reader meets Zita she has run away with her friend Joseph’s notebook. I immediately liked them both. And here’s why I begin this review with that statement: Ben Hatke and his wife are the real deal! Here’s a virtual introduction: Ben and his wife have four daughters and, when you talk to them, you cannot help but be mesmerized by their energy and passion for life, children, and story. That said, here’s my prediction for Zita the Spacegirl Zita, her adventures, her friends, her foes, and her writer (and his family) are all going to find themselves a very secure place in the annals of young adult literature. Prediction put bluntly: Zita the Spacegirl will turn out to be a very popular and well-known series that stands the test of time. I met Ben Hatke and his wife last fall at the New York City Comic Con.

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