Astro

3.3

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Author(s)

Manuel Marsol

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Lizzie Davis (Translator)

Publisher Name

Transit Children's Editions

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

April 08, 2025

ISBN13

979-8893389043

ISBN10 or ASIN

An astronaut grapples with the absence of his otherworldly friend in this poignant tale of loss and acceptance from an award-winning Spanish illustrator.

When Astro arrives on a faraway planet, everyone wants to meet him. Who’s this strange person, and why is he here? But one kind creature in particular is especially drawn to him.

Together, they form an unlikely bond and navigate the world’s curious terrains—mountains, caves, oceans. When the creature is taken from him, Astro must confront the difficult questions that underlie our existence: Why are we here? What is our life for?

Using a mix of collage, pencil and ink, and thickly layered acrylic, award-winning Manuel Marsol’s illustrations teem with the vastness and wonder of life near and far.

Editor review

1 review

lovely and strange

September 23, 2025 (Updated: June 22, 2026)

Overall rating

3.3

Plot

3.0

Characters

3.0

Writing Style

3.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

Astro is quite the illustrative experience. The illustrations are abstract and it feels as though you could look over them and still have new things to study each time, while still having lots of white space to give the impression of a vast viewpoint. The story is a bit existential in its scope. There is an astronaut often shown very tiny and not the focus. We do not know the astronaut's background because we learn that we are seeing the story from a creature’s perspective. Midway through the book, the creature dies, but the story is still from its perspective as the astro deals with the grief and loss of its passing. The astro asks tough questions about the meaning of life and the point of existence. There are some beautiful quotes at the end that add to the philosophical nature of this story. Overall, it is a lovely and strange book that invites you to think about what you have read and think about your own journey in this thing called life.