Astrid and the Space Cadets: meet the Cadets
Introducing the hilarious characters from Alex T. Smith's latest illustrated series for newly independent readers.
The new intergalactic children's books from Alex T. Smith (author of How Winston Delivered Christmas, The Grumpus and the Claude series) form a brilliantly illustrated space adventure series for newly independent readers aged 5 and up, featuring an incredible collection of characters. Let's meet the team!
Thank you for applying to join our team of intrepid and intergalactic helpers and finder-outers. We are pleased to introduce your fellow cadets.
Astrid Atomic
Astrid is a six year old human person from The Planet of Earth. Every night she blasts off into outer space to join her Space Cadet crew. Her super cool Space Cadet uniform has communicator armbands and moon boots with rocket blasters in the soles for quick getaways.
Astrid is clever, kind, enthusiastic and brave. She likes helping out and exploring space with her friends. She is also the unofficial leader of the gang and is good at getting them to work together to overcome problems (not always an easy job when her friends are aliens and also completely bonkers).
Beryl
Beryl is a large, pink, spotty alien. She is very positive and enthusiastic and also incredibly clumsy. And strong. Like, super, SUPER strong. If she chose to use her strength for violence, half the universe would crumble, but that’s not who Beryl is. She is very gentle and loves anything tiny – the tinier the better: tiny animals, tiny aliens, tiny flowers and tiny cosmic cupcakes.
She’s very good at maths (it helps that she has seven fingers on each hand – that makes counting easier!), but isn’t so good at other things – tying her laces for example and knowing her left from right (bit tricky this as she is also the spaceship’s navigator). Luckily, she has her friends to help her. She always carries a backpack full of snacks and has a very squeaky high pitched voice.
Professor Quackers
Professor Quackers is a professor and he is also a duck. He always floats and is the slightly grown up presence amongst the team. That doesn’t mean he’s sensible though. Far from it. He is highly strung and often teetering on the brink of a spell of nervous exhaustion (after all, how exactly does a duck become a professor AND find himself on board a spaceship?)
An enthusiastic inventor, he always carries a large silver suitcase with him which is full of useful things: art supplies, a tool kit, a shrink ray etc. Whether any of his things work is another matter. Deep down he does love adventuring through space, however every so often he does wish he could just bob about on a duck pond eating a baguette.
Zoink
Zoink is a small, furry alien with a colander for a hat. Nobody knows which planet Zoink comes from and they can’t remember themselves so they live happily on board the spaceship with their pals. When Zoink speaks they always say 'Zoink'. Only Astrid understands them and she translates what they are saying for everyone else.
Zoink is excitable, enthusiastic, and enjoys driving the spaceship at breakneck speed. Their favourite thing is when they get to press the Warp Speed button and rocket the team across the universe.
Follow their adventures. . .
Astrid and the Space Cadets: Attack of the Snailiens!
by Alex T. Smith
The minute Astrid's lights go off at bedtime, WHOOSH! She blasts off on board the spaceship Stardust. Her latest mission: to clean up the Milky Way. But when a nearby alien is in trouble and with giant snaliens around, things aren't likely to go to plan!
Astrid and the Space Cadets: Race from Planet Peril!
by Alex T. Smith
A new mission is in from the Chief: retrieve the special trophy for the Supersonic Saturn Race. Get ready for boiling hot lava waterfalls, fields of flaming flowers and a big, toothy, scary space monster! Plus the naughty Dr Boris Uranus is on their tail. Will they get to the trophy before time runs out?