Unicornia: Camping in the Clouds
Ana Punset, illustrated by Diana Vicedo
Walker Books

This is a charming adventure with a mystery to solve, puzzles and the discovery of secrets hidden way up in the sky. Its narrator Claudia, is sitting in the classroom with her best friends Sara and Pippa when their teacher announces that they are going on a class camping trip. Two nights in the sky, something about which Sara is not enthusiastic and it takes a lot of convincing from her friends to persuade her to join them.

The following morning off they set on their unicorns destination the Campsite in the Clouds where on arrival they are greeted by sky guides Valentina and Tim, identical twins. Having off loaded their rucksacks in a tent, the three go to join the other campers for some activities, after which they have dinner and then it’s time for bed. They don’t sleep straightaway but spend some time talking and Sara admits that she she doesn’t like the dark. Her friends reassure her but can they help her to overcome this fear, let herself go and enjoy the adventure?

With themes of anxiety and fear of the dark, Ana Punset’s story with its likeable characters, questions, fun lists and Diana Vicedo’s illustrations in soft green hues will enchant young newly independent readers and it would also work as a bedtime story.

More action in the sky but for slightly older readers:

Cosmic Cadets and the Bubblegum Bots
Ryan Crawford, illustrated by Rochelle Falconer
Oxford Children’s Books

In this new adventure, intergalactic duo and best friends Gloria and Razz, the Cosmic Cadets are off on a new mission. They are absolutely determined to finish it at the top of the unofficial leaderboard as well as remaining super glam. Their mission is to locate and rescue a missing lynx and return it to the owner, not exactly the glamorous mission they were hoping for but the one they must undertake.

As they approach Bubbly Blasters Universal Facilitation Factory Inc. and prepare to dock, Gloria’s confidence wanes and on arrival they are met by a fluffy pink Bubbly named Nimbulon. Before long the friends have forgotten about their mission, become careless, even disregarding a huge display notice stating “For our safety and yours, never chew gum inside the factory”. What happens some time later is that the two friends start a robot-apocalypse unleashing bubble-gum wielding bot replicas on their unwary teachers and friends.

Can the quick-thinking best pals restore order and do so before Gloria’s mum returns.

This addition to the action-packed sci-fi series will be loved by established followers and is likely to gain the Cosmic Cadets some new fans too. Watch out for Cosmic Cadets and the Wormhole Witch coming in September.