(Credit: Michelle Quance)

Four years after the release of The Barnabus Project, the Fan Brothers have returned with another look into the fantastical and slightly dystopian world of Perfect Pets, an underground factory that produces genetically engineered pets.

Barnaby Unboxed! begins just as Perfect Pets is recovering from the events of the previous book. In The Barnabus Project, Barnabus, a tiny elephant-mouse labelled as a Failed Project, staged a daring escape to avoid being “recycled.” As he made his way out of the factory, Barnabus was startled to spot Barnaby, a “perfect” version of Barnabus with bigger eyes, fluffier fur, and a pink hue.

Like The Barnabus Project, Barnaby Unboxed! explores the idea that perfection is subjective. Barnaby is a little arrogant about his Perfect Pet status – until he is left on the shelf long after other Perfect Pets have gone to new homes. When a little girl finally chooses him, the pair become inseparable and Barnaby regains his confidence. But when a newly released Rainbow Barnaby captures the little girl’s attention, she abruptly loses interest in him.

Devastated by her neglect, Barnaby runs away, “just long enough for people to miss him.” Barnaby quickly gets lost and eventually adjusts to life in the wild with a family of park squirrels. Months later, as Barnaby forages for food, the little girl – who has never stopped looking for him – spots him. After a tentative first encounter, the pair rebuild their original bond and Barnaby goes home.

The Fan Brothers’s illustrations have the same sweet, surreal, and vaguely threatening qualities as always, with the Perfect Pets’ soft colours and fuzzy edges contrasting against the city’s gloomy alleyways and dirty sidewalks. The “Lost Barnaby” posters scattered throughout various illustrations also serve an important role – they tip readers off to the fact that the little girl is still looking for Barnaby, even though he doesn’t know it yet.

The Fan Brothers’s storytelling is sophisticated, the writing beautiful and well-paced. The message, however, is sometimes a bit unclear. Barnaby’s crisis of self-confidence – when the newer, more colourful Perfect Pet arrives – clearly shows that self-image shouldn’t rely on external validation, yet it is the girl’s attention that makes Barnaby happy again. Because the primary conflict between Barnaby and the little girl is murky, the resolution feels slightly unsatisfying. The girl is somewhat redeemed by her persistent search for Barnaby and the cotton candy and spa treatment she offers when he returns home, but there is no apology or any clear moments of self-reflection. Readers might take longer to forgive her than Barnaby does. Fortunately, the action-packed plot and gorgeous illustrations will keep them engaged despite any doubts.