Cosmic

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Children's Literature

It is hard being so tall. Not only tall, but tall with facial hair--that's right, a beard. Liam discovers that it is not so hard to pretend to be an adult if you already look like one. It is, however, a bit problematic when you are sitting behind a Ferrari, supposedly going for a test drive, when you can't even drive. Being tall gets Liam into trouble--a lot of trouble.

Probably the most trouble Liam gets into in Cosmic, is when he finds himself on a rocket ship lost in space. He has entered the Greatest Dad Ever contest and won. Now he is the DAD on a crazy journey, escorting 4 kids on a space mission that has gone awry. He could sure use his own dad now! Funnily enough, he uses his video gaming skills perfected playing World of Warcraft to help him navigate many of the difficult situations he finds himself in.

This is a lovely and charming story which reminded me vaguely at times of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Specifically, a contest is advertised and four kids and their dads win. The person running the contest is a bit loony and the kids and their dads are a bit all maladjusted. That, however, is where the similarities end.

A delightful read and a bit of a homage to dads everywhere.