It Fell from the Sky

by Terry Fan, Eric Fan, Terry Fan (Illustrator), Eric Fan (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Elegant, yet whimsical, It Fell From the Sky is another masterpiece from author-illustrators Terry and Eric Fan. Full of sophisticated, delicate illustrations and lessons around community, greed and humility, It Fell From the Sky sits beautifully next to the Fan Brother’s other works of art The Night Gardener and Ocean Meets the Sky.

From the creators of the critically acclaimed The Night Gardener and Ocean Meets Sky comes a whimsical and elegantly illustrated picture book about community, art, the importance of giving back—and the wonder that fell from the sky.

It fell from the sky on a Thursday.

None of the insects know where it came from, or what it is. Some say it’s an egg. Others, a gumdrop. But whatever it is, it fell near Spider’s house, so he’s convinced it belongs to him.

Spider builds a wonderous display so that insects from far and wide can come look at the marvel. Spider has their best interests at heart. So what if he has to charge a small fee? So what if the lines are long? So what if no one can even see the wonder anymore?

But what will Spider do after everyone stops showing up?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534457621
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	09/28/2021
Pages:	56
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	AD670L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Terry Fan received his formal art training at Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, Canada. His work is a blend of traditional and contemporary techniques, using ink or graphite mixed with digital. He spends his days (and nights) creating magical paintings, portraits, and prints. Terry is the cocreator of The Night Gardener, It Fell from the Sky, and Lizzy and the Cloud. Born in Illinois, he now lives in Toronto. Visit him online TheFanBrothers.com.

Eric Fan is an artist and writer who lives in Toronto, Canada. Born in Hawaii and raised in Toronto, he attended the Ontario College of Art and Design, where he studied illustration, sculpture, and film. He has a passion for vintage bikes, clockwork contraptions, and impossible dreams. Eric is the cocreator of The Night Gardener, It Fell from the Sky, and Lizzy and the Cloud. Visit him online TheFanBrothers.com.

Terry Fan received his formal art training at Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, Canada. His work is a blend of traditional and contemporary techniques, using ink or graphite mixed with digital. He spends his days (and nights) creating magical paintings, portraits, and prints. Terry is the cocreator of The Night Gardener, It Fell from the Sky, and Lizzy and the Cloud. Born in Illinois, he now lives in Toronto. Visit him online TheFanBrothers.com.

Eric Fan is an artist and writer who lives in Toronto, Canada. Born in Hawaii and raised in Toronto, he attended the Ontario College of Art and Design, where he studied illustration, sculpture, and film. He has a passion for vintage bikes, clockwork contraptions, and impossible dreams. Eric is the cocreator of The Night Gardener, It Fell from the Sky, and Lizzy and the Cloud. Visit him online TheFanBrothers.com.

Editorial Reviews

07/05/2021

This wonderfully illustrated fable about the consequences of greed opens as a group of insects spy a mysterious object lying in the grass, which “fell from the sky on a Thursday.” Readers see that it’s a sumptuously hued glass marble, but the insects, several of which sport dapper hats, are baffled. “It is not of earthly origins,” says wise Grasshopper. A large, bold spider with four eyes and a bow tie appropriates the marble as the centerpiece of an outdoor amusement venue, charging admission and jacking up the price to earn piles of leaf currency—until customers stop coming. Largely black-and-white spreads by the Fan Brothers (The Antlered Ship), rendered digitally and in graphite, offer mesmerizing crispness and definition. The varied textures captured, from delicate dandelion heads to the glow of fireflies and the glossy reflective surface of the marble itself, give readers an entrée into the insects’ miniature world, and the sense that they are privy to its secrets and movements as the insects learn how to make wonder available to all. Ages 4–8. Agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

* "The Fan brothers’ spectacularly detailed graphite work is as sumptuous and painstakingly rendered as always, and they use both shadow and light and limited pops of stunning color to enhance their storytelling in a remarkable way...[t]he story is elegantly told with clear anti-consumerist, anti-greed messaging, and while the spider is a bit alarming-looking, much can be forgiven for its dapper bow tie."

starred review Booklist

"The Fans create a satisfying vintage feel with their playfully formal diction and detailed and graphite and digital illustrations, which mix realism and whimsy...each exquisitely detailed spread invites a longer, closer look, and the restrained palette's grayscale and color contrast recalls the film The Wizard of Oz. Only the items "from the sky" and the leaf currency are in color, suggesting their otherworldly quality and allure. Fans of David Wiesner should especially love this immersive miniature world where marbles are marvels and community spirit triumphs over filthy leaves—er, lucre."

Shelf Awareness

★ 09/01/2021

PreS-Gr 3—With intricate graphite illustrations, the Fan brothers deliver a lovely story about how the creatures in a garden react when an unknown marble-like object falls from the sky. But these creatures do not panic like Chicken Little. How does it taste? Will it hatch if they keep it warm enough? Where did it come from? They are intrigued by the pop of color in their midst. A crafty spider in a top hat takes ownership of the object and builds an amusement park to showcase the wonder from the sky. The adorable spider takes readers on a journey through capitalism as well as supply and demand. Will anyone come to see the wonder if the prices are too steep? What will happen if the object's owner comes to claim it? The book works well for library and classroom read-alouds. It can also be used in classroom connections for perspective, inference, and cause and effect. VERDICT A whimsical story of what happens when an everyday item is suddenly seen through new eyes. A welcome addition to public, school, and classroom libraries serving young children.—Monisha Blair, Glasgow M. S., Alexandria, VA

School Library Journal

2021-07-14
When a strange orb falls into their habitat, the Spider commandeers it, constructing “WonderVille” and selling tickets to long lines of curious insects.

The object (readers will recognize it as a yellow-green marble) invites considerable speculation. Is it a gumdrop, a comet, a chrysalis? The Spider, nixing the chatter, asserts that “whatever it is, it most certainly belongs to me,” insisting that the sphere has fallen into his web. He constructs a “Grand Exhibit” to showcase “the Wonder from the Sky.” As lines of visitors lengthen, admission increases from one leaf to two—then more—until visitors cease. The Spider presumes they’ve gone to invite prospective customers. That self-aggrandizing assumption is rendered moot by “the Unexpected Disaster. / A five-legged creature stole the Wonder and took it back to the sky.” (This deus ex machina is a child’s hand.) Time passes, WonderVille reverts to its previous state, and insects return. The Spider, ignored, experiences a nighttime epiphany as stars shine down. “They didn’t hide their light from anyone. Not even a selfish Spider.” Patiently, he spins webs, and “sure enough, more Wonders fell from the sky.” In graphite-gray spreads rife with delicate flora, colorful new “Wonders” (a thimble, pushpin, Lego, and more) captivate the neighborhood—free of charge. The Fans’ marvelous illustrations sparkle with nuance, from lofting dandelion seeds to the Spider’s dew-dropped web. The pro-community message is slightly undermined by the choice to portray a gendered, top-hatted, preponderantly male cast. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Well-nigh Wondrous. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews