Pilot & Huxley: The First Adventure

After a late video-game rental puts them on the wrong side of some aliens who want to destroy Earth, innocent boys Pilot and Huxley are transported into an alternate dimension where Huxley's name is the ultimate swear word and boats sail on bees instead of water. Joined by a girl named Brett who can change into a monster—and the pirate she saves from the belly of a sea monster—they sail across the swamp of bees to meet the leader of the dimension, who might be able to send them home. Soon, they're on a quest to prove their worth to the leader, but will the aliens catch up with them before it's too late? Our heroes will see a city inside a dragon's nose and a burger made of live rat before the exciting conclusion. It's delightfully surreal and filled with imaginative dialogue ("This day can't get any worse." "What do you mean? We're on our way to get a giant's nose hair. That's awesome"). McGuinness's illustrations are colorful and kinetic, fitting the tale's many humorous twists. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)