Pinky & Stinky

Pigs in space is not an entirely new concept in children's entertainment, but Pinky and Stinky do it in an incredibly cute and fun manner. The plot is relatively easy to follow though full of twists: they are two pig astronauts on a mission to Pluto. Due to a mishap (Stinky's fault, according to Pinky), they end up crash landing on the Moon. Luckily for them, there is a base there for them to find help, but unfortunately, the astronauts there are pretty mean and rude. Also, there are aliens on the moon who also make life interesting.

Pinky & Stinky is the work of prolific cartoonist, James Kochalka. Kochalka has won multiple Ignatz Awards as well as a Harvey Award, and he is the first person ever named Cartoonist Laureate for a US state (Vermont). He creates a daily, online, diary comic American Elf and has published a wide array of comics for all age groups, mostly through Top Shelf Productions. This interview casts some light on his life and work.

Like much of Kochalka's work, this book has been well reviewed. Johanna Draper Carlson called it "an imaginative journey, reminiscent of a children’s story told over several nights." Mark Allen thought it was longer than a typical children's story but concluded that "this is a very good book for children." Paul Debraski wrote that he enjoyed the humor and twists in the story as well as Kochalka's deceptively simple art.

A preview is available here from Top Shelf.