The Spaceman

THE SPACEMAN is a cute and intriguing picture book that looks at Earth from another perspective. A small Spaceman arrives on a planet, where he is collecting the usual samples. However, things go awry when his spaceship is taken by a feathered creature. As he follows after it, he notices stunning things that make this planet unique. After he makes a new friend, he finds his spaceship, but he decides that he would rather stay than keep traveling on.

What I loved: This is a joyous story of new discovery and appreciating the beauty in our planet. The writing style is unique, told from the story of an alien who has landed on Earth. His small size gives new perspective as he enjoys flowers, bugs, and even a pond. Ultimately, he finds joy and belonging, feelings that will resonate with young elementary school aged readers.

The story is easy to follow and creates a small disconnect between the text and the images, as children will recognize the animals and things he does not yet know. This invites children to explore on their own and think about the things they see everyday in a new way. The writing is approachable and the length great for older picture book readers who will also appreciate the humor in the things the Spaceman does not yet know and the way the story concludes. The illustrations capture the story well and tell the story alongside the text.

Final verdict: THE SPACEMAN is a creative and intriguing picture book that invites children to see the world around them with new eyes and celebrate the little things.

“The Spaceman” by Randy Cecil allows an alien to explore a new and different land. What he learns as he ventures into the unknown is that not everything is what you expect it to be, and that there is so much to make of what is right in front of you, often beyond what first meets the eye.

Since the spaceman’s job is to collect, label, and file soil samples from different planets before moving on, he has grown used to the monotony of his job, but he also yearns for more. When a bird snatches his spaceship and makes him follow in order to retrieve it, he literally stops to look at flowers, stare at the stars, and discover beautiful creatures that he has never seen before.

The story is one that has been told time and time again, but this time from the eyes of someone not from our planet, who is seeing it with eyes that have never viewed the land before, and a mind that is untouched by anyone telling him how he should think about it. Everyone has their own perceptions of new places, new people, new ideas, but the opportunity to see something fresh and new, to explore it uninhibited, is a gift, and we are granted that through the spaceman.