Jan Brett has written many beautiful books; The Hat, The Mitten, The Gingerbread Baby.  With intricate artwork and attention to detail, the stories are wonderful to read and re-read. Hedgie Blasts Off! is a departure from this formula. Brett took her beloved character, Hedgie, from The Hat and created a modernistic, science fiction picture book for young readers. Although the idea seems like a good one, the resulting story leaves the reader wondering what was wrong with the old style.

Hedgie narrates the story of his rise from lowly custodian in Star Labs, a dog-centric aerospace lab, to First Astronaut Hedgie. When the robotic explorer malfunctions, Hedgie is asked to take its place in the rocket to explore a dying crater. Hedgie solves the problem with his quick thinking and is rewarded by the scientists at Star Labs.

The format of the pictures is a departure from her more popular books and although she does take the time to create some detail work in the illustrations, they are no where near the same level. Fans of Hedgie will enjoy the flight of fancy, but other readers will be left wanting more.