The Barnabus Project is a heartwarming tale about accepting our differences and searching for freedom from the bestselling duo Terry and Eric Fan (The Night Gardner), who are joined on this project by their brother, Devin.
Barnabus, a tiny half-mouse, half-elephant hybrid, is a Failed Project in a world obsessed with Perfect Pets. He has only ever known the dark, underground world of the laboratory where he was created. As a Failed Project, his fate is to never leave the confines of his bell jar, but he dreams of making it to the world above and seeing for himself all the wonders that his friend, Pip the cockroach, has told him about. When word gets around the lab that all the Failed Projects are going to be recycled, Barnabus realizes that he may have to put his escape plan into action sooner than he thought.
The use of light in the illustrations lends an aura of hope to the story, even when little Barnabus and his friends find themselves in the darkest of situations, and the cool-toned color palette is soothing and just the right amount of eerie. Barnabus, though considered a “failed project” within the world of his story, is in fact undeniably adorable, ranking approximately at the level of Baby Yoda on the cuteness scale, and the other Failed Projects in his lab are just as cute.
Barnabus is a miniature hero with a big heart and a whole lot of courage. The story’s exploration of his longing to be free paired with the book’s always timely message of acceptance gives The Barnabus Project mass appeal and a timeless quality.
