Children are alike all over.Ensconced in a treehouse, a child removes a book from a frog-shaped backpack and begins to read. Noticing something odd in the distance, the child shelters behind a tree and witnesses a spaceship landing. Two older extraterrestrials and a youngster step out. After enjoying an elaborate picnic and games, the visitors fly off in their spaceship but leave an object: an intricately decorated golden disk with transparent, turnable overlays: pages? Suddenly, the young extraterrestrial, who's apparently been left behind, reappears; the kids communicate nonverbally. The Earth child returns the disk to its owner and, retrieving the book from the backpack, gifts it to the visitor. The spaceship returns, the kids hug farewell, and the space kid departs. Later, the earthling describes the incident to the rest of the family; the pet cat gazes skyward. Elsewhere in the universe, the outer-space youngster and family share the Earth volume. Finally, the Earth kid draws pictures of the disk, the space youngster savors the prized earthly souvenir…and the cat makes an astounding discovery in the backpack. This wordless offering emphasizes that kids understand kids, no matter their origin, and that books have universal appeal-literally. Readers will love poring over the clearly composed artwork's luminous, wondrously imaginative, interplanetary details. The dark-haired earthling and one parent are light-skinned; the other parent is brown-skinned. The orange-faced space child's hair resembles the sun's rays. The extraterrestrial adults appear to be seniors; one uses a stylized wheelchair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)This wordless tale speaks volumes. (Picture book. 5-8)

This intriguing wordless story from Handy (The Happiness of a Dog with a Ball in Its Mouth) portrays an encounter between two youths: one of Earth, and a fantastical being from the cosmos. On a wander in the woods with a beloved book, the human child, portrayed with tan skin, spies a spaceship landing in a nearby clearing and watches as an apparent family group emerges. Two seeming adult figures, a young person, and a pet all engage—in splendidly saturated fanciful spreads by Benbassat (The Screaming Hairy Armadillo and 76 Other Animals with Weird, Wild Names)—in play and have a picnic. Examining the site after they’ve left, the human child finds a magical golden disk that reads as a sort of astrolabe, and soon encounters the youth, who comes to retrieve it. As a farewell gift, the child gives the being their favorite book, then rushes home to relate the story of this extraordinary encounter. Benbassat’s distinctive rendering of the outer space family and its belongings exude charm—their sunlike faces have golden beams that radiate outward, and a picnic blanket is poured from a vessel—and a final vignette hints that the story might continue. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Jennifer Joel, ICM Partners. Illustrator’s agent: Rebecca