Matthew Looney

Matthew Looney is the title character in a series of four science fiction books for children by Jerome Beatty Jr (1916—2002).

Similar to most child characters in children's literature, the Looney kids must deal with parents, friends, and rivals, along with the normal array of school-age joys and concerns.

Their father works in the "powder factory," but Matthew is captivated by the notion of an exciting career in the military like his uncle, Rear Admiral Looney.

Maria, his younger sister, prefers playing sports after school and getting in trouble with her best friend and rival, Hester.

Beatty uses Matthew Looney’s curiosity about the Earth and his desire to embark on voyages of discovery as a literary device.