Juno loved two things more than pancakes: books and cartoons.

At home, he made “whoosh!” sounds for rockets. He drew a pegasus with a space helmet. He even taped a unicorn sticker on his notebook.

One Saturday, Juno went exploring with his friends. Mina carried a map. Theo carried snacks. Juno carried his backpack with his favorite picture book inside.

They walked near the desert behind town. The sand looked like golden sugar. Wind made tiny swirls that tickled their ankles.

“Let’s find something amazing,” Juno said. His tummy felt bouncy—excited bouncy.

They followed Mina’s map to an old dry riverbed. Then the ground began to hum. Not loud. More like a purring cat.

A metal hatch popped up from the sand. It opened with a polite “ding!”

A tiny robot rolled out. It wore a glittery bow tie and a serious face.

“Greetings, explorers,” it said. “Welcome to the Outer-Space Circus of Zing!”

Theo blinked. “In the desert?”

“Best parking,” the robot replied. “No traffic. Lots of sky. Plenty of sand for juggling.”

A ramp slid out of the hatch. Sparkly lights ran along its sides. Juno’s heart thumped like a drum.

They climbed down into a cool tunnel. It smelled like popcorn and cinnamon. The walls were painted with planets wearing clown noses.

At the end was a huge tent. It wasn’t on the ground. It floated a little, like it was holding its breath.

A sign spun in circles: TONIGHT ONLY! LAUGH-ORBIT SHOW!

“Tonight means right now!” Mina whispered.

The robot bowed. “I am Clip-Clop, ticket checker.” Then it frowned and checked its clipboard. “Oh. Oh dear.”

“What?” Juno asked.

“Our star performer is missing,” Clip-Clop said. “The Great Galloping Galaxy Unicorn!”

Theo gasped so hard he almost swallowed his snack. “A unicorn… in space?”

“Of course,” Clip-Clop said.