A very cute, heartwarming, funny and sometimes profound little book. I say ‘little’ because even with a rather hefty page count, you can read this nearly in one sitting. You’ll want to slow down though, and appreciate each page. The illustrations are line drawings in a clear, simple style, some pages have just a few sentences or phrases, some no text at all, and then several are just crammed with words (which takes the reader by surprise after the leisurely visual pace). The premise is that a little alien, considered a bit odd by his fellow conspecifics, is dropped off on Earth to do a scientific study and learn about the ‘humabns’. He meets a lot of creatures and makes friends- from talking trees and an egg to bees, flowers, otters, a very busy beaver, a lonely bear, an aspirational hedgehog, even Bigfoot makes an appearance. The alien is checked on from time to time by his fellow beings to see what progress he is making, and he gets a little dismayed or frustrated at not having the right answers from them. While he’s making friends with and observing creatures on Earth, in a fashion that reminded me of The Little Prince, he explores ideas of creativity, self confidence, hope, belonging, finding yourself, facing the changes of growing up, and more. I really liked the tongue-in-cheek digs at The Giving Tree, though the ending of that little plot arc in the book took me quite by surprise. This story made me chuckle quite a few times, turn thoughtful and pondering at others, and think a bit harder about some things. I also really liked the inclusion of Nothing as a personality (and what happened when it went away), the many puns (some which took me a few re-reads to get) and the ending. Some pages can feel a bit depressing, but even those made me laugh (especially the bit about the pumpkin). Worth a read.
Borrowed from the public library.
