both speak Voosurian, a cleverly phonetic language with lots of "OO" sounds that kids will enjoy sounding out, and MonkeyBear even has a helpful ship-repair manual ("ROOF [I will go and get it]," the dog says). After designing a slingshot launcher to get their friend home, Gracie and MonkeyBear begin their third adventure, involving a whale. In this fantastic book, O'Kelly deftly manages the transitions from one adventure to the next, and Farrell's inventive, entertaining images capture the whimsy and delight of imagination. In particular, Gracie's costume changes--a paleontologist's fedora and leather jacket, a starship mechanic's purple jumpsuit, and wet suit and cap to rescue the whale--suit each of her missions perfectly. Also, in the various color illustrations, Gracie's skin tone is ambiguous, making it possible for young readers of many ethnicities to see themselves in her. Young readers who love to pretend will see Gracie as a kindred spirit and look forward to future seasonal adventures in this planned kids' book series.