The Spaceman

by Randy Cecil, Randy Cecil (Illustrator)

Overview

Lovingly illustrated, this wry and gentle fantasy will speak to adults as well as children—and cast the familiar in an astonishing new light.

A tiny Spaceman arrives on a new planet, ready to perform his monotonous tasks—collecting samples, labeling and filing them, and moving on to the next planet. But pausing to look around, the Spaceman is dazzled by the beauty of his surroundings. And when a large bird makes off with his ship, he’s forced to venture out into this new world—planet Earth—on foot. Marveling at a varied landscape of flowers, butterflies, and other wondrous creatures, he finds a pond to float in and a goofy, slobbery beast who seems to want to be his friend. Could it be that the Spaceman has found a new home? This simple and sophisticated story filled with deadpan humor offers surprises on each lively spread. From a veteran creator comes a delightfully droll story radiating warmth and the wonder of the new, reminding us to look up from our mundane lives and embrace discovery.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536226164
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	05/07/2024
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	206,811
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Randy Cecil is the author-illustrator of Douglas, Duck, and many other highly acclaimed picture books. He is also the illustrator of James Howe’s Brontorina and Tyrone O’Saurus Dreams; Elizabeth Bluemle’s How Do You Wokka-Wokka? and My Father the Dog; Barbara Joosse’s Girl and Dragon series, and numerous other books for young readers. He lives in Texas.

Editorial Reviews

01/29/2024

Exiting its spaceship, the itinerant spaceman of this picture book’s title immediately deems this latest stop on a soil-collection tour to be “a rather ordinary planet.” But as the being loses its spacecraft and the story unfolds, first-person narration and close-hatched illustrations by Cecil (Douglas)—whose oil brushstrokes imbue every object with remarkable depth—show readers that not only has the orange, space-suited figure arrived on Earth, but also that it is diminutive compared to the planet’s insects and flowers. Alarmed at first, the spaceman takes a multi-page, aerial tour via butterfly and is filled with wonder; its once world(s)-weary face, which features a hairless head and googly eyes, now wears an expression of unadulterated happiness. Befriended by a slobber-happy pooch, the character realizes, “What a surprise it was to hear myself laughing. To find myself playing. What a joy to simply sit together enjoying the gentle breeze.” Responsibilities on other planets await—but what if leaving this paradise were to become impossible? With its openhearted protagonist and self-affirming ending, this sojourn celebrates the profound joy that comes with finally finding where one belongs. Ages 3–7. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Written from the spaceman’s viewpoint, the narrative flows well from one discovery to the next. In Cecil’s oil paintings, the colors become clearer and brighter as the story progresses, and so does the story’s tone. Like the lovable spaceman himself, this is one of those quirky, original picture books that appeal to many adults as well as children. . . . A quirky, original picture book.
—Booklist (starred review)

This story ticks all the boxes. Clever narrative that humorously mimics 19th-century travelogues, check. Engaging illustrations that enrich and amplify, check. Endearing characters, double-check. . . . Humorous, poignant, and oh-so-satisfying.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

With its openhearted protagonist and self-affirming ending, this sojourn celebrates the profound joy that comes with finally finding where one belongs.
—Publishers Weekly

The Spaceman is adorably orange, bald, and Muppet-like in his little spacesuit, and simple, smudged outlines for the hills, stars, and plants allow Cecil’s oil illustrations to shine in all their textures. There’s plenty of clever humor to be found in the Spaceman’s dry, absurdly technical descriptions of our planet, and the premise encourages youngsters to reflect on everyday aspects of nature that are often taken for granted.
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

From the Publisher

★ 2024-02-03
A spaceman lands on planet Earth.

This story ticks all the boxes. Clever narrative that humorously mimics 19th-century travelogues, check. Engaging illustrations that enrich and amplify, check. Endearing characters, double-check. Our unnamed, goggle-eyed, yellow-skinned, tiny hero tells readers that it’s his job to visit planets. He collects soil samples, he labels them, and he files them. Then it’s off to the next planet. And the next. But on this planet, which at first seems as desolate as the rest, the spaceman is entranced by a gorgeous—and comparatively huge—flower. While he’s gazing at it, his spacecraft is stolen by a “thief that sprouted wings from its feathery sides” (a bird). He chases, but to no avail. Then he’s accosted by a “hideous beast, all covered in fur” (an adorable dog). He flees. Sitting on a rock, he’s about to yell in frustration when he notices the night is ending, and in the daylight, the planet’s rich and varied beauty is revealed. He hitches a ride with a butterfly, enthralled by all he sees, then loses his grip and falls into a lily pond, where the “hideous beast” rescues him (the creature is “not without its charms,” the spaceman admits). As the spaceman and the dog snuggle together on dry land, he looks up—and sees his spacecraft in the branches of a tree. Ah, he can return to his old life again. But will he?

Humorous, poignant, and oh-so-satisfying. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews