Game of Pets Books in Order

Game of Pets is an illustrated children's adventure series in which the animals people trust most may be working against them. Aaron Blabey builds the story around an intergalactic game show, a threat to Earth and a boy who seems an unlikely choice to save it. The jokes come from putting an enormous responsibility on someone who has enough difficulties getting through an ordinary day.

Griff is eleven, and he has a great many allergies.

In The Boy Who Knew Too Much, a talking axolotl named Bob tells Griff that he is humanity's hope. That would be hard enough to take in without the warning that comes with it: pets aren't what they appear to be. Cats and dogs suddenly become objects of suspicion, and everyday encounters with animals take on a much stranger meaning. Griff has to respond to information that turns his understanding of the world upside down.

The central joke also supplies the continuing danger. Life on Earth is tied to a cosmic competition, and apparently innocent animals have a role in something destructive. That makes the familiar world part of the adventure rather than simply a place Griff leaves behind. A creature that looks harmless can be connected to a much bigger threat, so learning what to trust becomes as necessary as finding a way to fight back.

Farmageddon continues the journey as Griff travels towards the nation's capital with Carol and Bob. They hope eco-activist Tallulah Jones can help them work out what to do about pets trying to destroy the planet. Their transport is a monster truck driven by a former Marine, but even a vehicle like that needs fuel. A practical stop on the road brings them to Truheart Farm during its annual harvest festival.

The farm has a petting zoo, which is especially bad news in this series. What would normally look like a family outing becomes another reason for Griff and his companions to worry. The change of setting keeps the larger problem close: escaping one danger doesn't mean the next place will be safe. The trip towards possible help gives the second book its direction, while the animals at the farm provide an immediate obstacle.

The tone is comic science fiction, with a world-saving mission running alongside visual jokes and absurd situations. The illustrations are part of the reading experience, and the premise turns familiar pets into possible villains without requiring a realistic adventure. Begin with The Boy Who Knew Too Much to meet Griff and learn what Bob has revealed, then continue with Farmageddon as the same emergency follows them onto the road.