ALA Booklist (Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2019)

Two children are unsure about their extraterrestrial babysitter: "She took some getting used to . . . but she knew just what to do." The babysitter successfully makes dinner, helps with homework, plays with the children, ensures they brush their teeth, and even sings a lullaby. Thoroughly entertained by the babysitter from another planet, the sister and brother are disappointed that their next babysitter is a regular, boring human. That teenage girl leaves in a hurry when the babysitter from another planet returns, this time bringing friends. Digital illustrations and the title font and design playfully evoke vintage sf movies, including the visual joke of a variety of aliens joining the kids to watch a monster show on the living room television. Other clever details in the pictures include having The War of the Worlds as the bedtime story, while the parents' car and home furnishings suggest a mid-twentieth-century time period. Modern children will be entertained by the idea of an alien babysitter, while their parents will enjoy the retro nostalgia.

Kirkus Reviews

When Mom and Dad go on a date, the children meet their new babysitter with caution that turns to glee as she soon becomes their favorite sitter.A strange silhouette, with green rays emanating from her eyes, greets the kids as they scramble under the kitchen table. It's clear this is no ordinary caregiver. Bull-horned, purple, and reminiscent of a slimmed-down Barbapapa character, this babysitter is definitely an extraterrestrial. But as she cooks, helps with homework, reads, and sings lullabies, she slowly becomes more familiar. The kids are won over when she pulls the ultimate sitter move—letting them stay up late (and play anti-gravity games). Digital illustrations are done in a cool palette using simple blocks of color. The cover parodies the 1950s futuristic aesthetic, from the shape and shading of the flying saucers and car to the modern-style home; distressed display type on the title harkens back to pulp magazines. Unfortunately, while Savage exhibits his signature skill on the cover and title page, the interiors lack the same attention to scale and detail. The mysterious lighting may unsettle more than just the protagonists; this is one to use with children who have had some experience with babysitters already. The family appears to be a multiracial one, with a peach-skinned dad and a light-brown-skinned mom.A resource for the babysitter bookshelf and to prompt conversations about seeing beyond appearances. (Picture book. 5-7)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Arriving via spaceship to care for her charges, the titular babysitter is a far cry from the unearthly menaces of 1950s sci-fi movies. She not only has a kind, patient face topped with a floating moonlike orb, she also creates an entire meal, including cupcakes, with her eyes; explains homework by conjuring up 3-D forms from thin air; and plays antigravity games before bedtime. Why would anyone want the usual teenage human babysitter? The book is really a series of spreads around a premise-the slight narrative arc doesn-t move much beyond bedtime or into the intricacies of alien sitters for hire-but the familiar ritual turned cosmic is a lot of fun to regard. As many kids know, spending the evening with a great babysitter really does feel out of this world. Bright digital pictures by Savage (Little Plane Learns to Write) have a reassuring sense of symmetry and solidity, with midcentury modern stylings, seemingly inspired by a vintage issue of House Beautiful, that grown-ups will surely appreciate. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)