"He's the guardian robot programmed to protect the sweetest astronaut on this (or any) planet. But when she blasts off on a solo mission of outer-space adventure, he is left to wonder... What now? A tomorrow-days lullaby about finding your place in the universe."

Space Cadet is a 132-page graphic novel drawn entirely on etchboards. It is accompanied by a "still picture score" of music composed and recorded by Kid Koala. 

This charming story of an adventurous space cadet and her guardian robot touches on the relationship between technology and isolation, and celebrates the idea of connectivity through family and the cycles that build generations. A tomorrow-days lullaby about finding your place in the universe, the use of etchboards have given Koala’s trademark pathos-drenched tales of love and loneliness a whole new depth and beauty. 

The music, meanwhile, matches this mood. Built up from the Kid’s own piano playing, which sounds like a speakeasy pianist playing Satie when the punters have staggered home, Koala has added strings, horns, marimba and subtle use of his core instrument, the turntables. The results are scintillating, a suite of music that certainly reflects the moods and themes of the book, but which bear repeated listening in their own right. 

The soundtrack to Space Cadet is released on 20 July 2011, and is available on 10" vinyl exclusively from the Ninjashop. The book, which comes with a CD version of the soundtrack, will be released on 19 September. Both releases are available for pre-order now.