How to Welcome an Alien

by Rebecca Klempner, Shirley Waisman (Illustrator)

Overview

When a friendly alien family's spaceship lands in the Abraham's back yard, Debbie welcomes them with traditional Jewish hospitality. While this story hints at the biblical origins of the tradition of welcoming a stranger, it is the silly antics of these out-of-this-world visitors that will have readers laughing out loud. A note at the back pulls it all together and reminds us that a stranger can be anyone from an immigrant to a person that feels alone because they are different and all deserve our hospitality.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798986396538
Publisher:	Kalaniot Books
Publication date:	08/01/2023
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.01(w) x 10.97(h) x 0.35(d)
Age Range:	4 - 9 Years

About the Author

Rebecca Klempner is the author of A Dozen Daisies for Raizy, Adina at Her Best, and Glixman in a Fix. She lives with her family in Los Angeles, where she welcomes a wide variety of guests...though, so far, no aliens. Illustrator, Shirley Waisman, has published more than 50 picture books. Her work has appeared in children's books and magazines and art exhibitions. Shirley is currently the Illustrator Coordinator of her regional chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She lives in Israel.

Editorial Reviews

A family of aliens receives a warm welcome in this story that draws upon principles of traditional Jewish hospitality. The Abrahams are expecting a visit from their new neighbors; the visitors that arrive, however, are from a little farther away. Nevertheless, they are provided with food, drink, and a place to rest—and a helping hand to get their spaceship up and running again. Colored pencil illustrations depict the aliens wearing water glasses as hats, warily nibbling cookies, and other humorous antics.

Foreword Reviews, July / August 2023 - Danielle Ballantyne

Comparison titles, often abbreviated to “comp titles” or “comps,” are the bane of my existence. They are used for different reasons by different people in the publishing industry, need to somehow sell work as unique while comparing it to something already existing, and take up way more space than I care to think about on QueryManager forms. Still, they do serve a purpose. Case in point – this review is largely being performed thanks to the author’s fantastic use of creative comp titles. When writers are seeking an agent or publisher for a particular book, many will participate in pitch events where they throw up a brief description of the book on a social media platform – most commonly twitter. I met my own agent through such an event and enjoy networking and meeting new writers by supporting their pitches. However, we all know picture books are not my forte. It’s not a category I often browse or interact with much. Until I saw the pitch from Rebecca Klempner for her picture book How to Welcome an Alien. Readers, she comped Parshat Vayera and then included a hashtag for science fiction. It was fresh and eye catching and something I just had to read in order to see what in the world this was about. The book, which was eventually illustrated by Shirley Waisman, is due to come out on August 1, 2023. It features a group of aliens crash landing in the yard of a Jewish family anticipating the arrival of their new neighbors. Although this is not the company they were expecting, they fulfill the mitzvah of welcoming guests to their best ability. Some language barriers and cultural misunderstandings ensue, but the group seems to have fun while managing to repair the space ship. Plus, when the new neighbors do arrive, there’s yet another surprise. The comparison title was indeed accurate. How to Welcome an Alien is a cute and fresh take on the lessons learned from Abraham’s tent in parshat Vayera. Kuddos the the author for finding a way to catch the eye of even the most unlikeliest of picture book reviewers.

Bookishly Jewish, June 2023 - E Broderick

2023-06-08
The Abrahams mistake a group of aliens who crash-land unexpectedly behind their home for the Greenbaums, their new neighbors.

Though the extraterrestrials’ odd behavior and incomprehensible language are a bit surprising, Dina invites them in with a welcoming “Shalom” and offers them a seat, water, and cookies. When Dina’s mother, realizing that these aren’t the Greenbaums, whispers that the guests “are a little strange,” Dina reminds her of the traditional Jewish teaching: “It’s a mitzvah to give guests food and drink and a place to rest.” But what these aliens really need is help in repairing their spaceship, which Dina provides with tools and tape. All fixed, the aliens take off again for Alpha Centauri amid gestures of thanks and friendship, leaving the Abrahams with a hologram of their time together. But there’s another funny twist in store when the Greenbaums finally do arrive. All in all, it’s a quirky yet sweet tale, brought to life by soft, whimsical drawings of the family and their mushroomlike guests and imbued with a sound message. The author’s note further explains the important “Jewish view of hospitality” and that of inviting others who may be “poor, lonely, converts, or new to the community.” Dina and her father are tan-skinned, while her mother is lighter-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A noble lesson for all. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews