I was introduced to Binky the Space Cat last year and was utterly charmed. As a space cat, it is Binky’s job to protect his family from the “aliens” (bugs) that threaten the “space station” (the family’s home). It’s a tough job…but somebody’s gotta do it. In Spires’ third installment, Binky must contend with an interloper in the space station – a foster cat named Gracie who is more than she seems.

I quite enjoyed the story. The first two books were were pretty solitary – Binky interacted with his family (only a little, and they never understood him) and his best friend Ted (who is a stuffed animal), but no one on his own level. With the addition of Gracie, he’s given another animal to socialize with, and they get up to some fun hijinks.

Although the gimmick of Binky being a “space cat” is no longer new, each additional book in the series has maintained the same high quality as the first. The stories are clever and fun (with just the right amount of farting) and the art continues to delight. While Binky himself doesn’t talk, he does make some hilarious noises. His facial expressions are probably my favorite – Spires communicates so much with just a little re-positioning of the mouth or narrowing of the eyes. There are enough details that a second reading is just as enjoyable as the first.