Out There

by Tom Sullivan, Tom Sullivan (Illustrator)

Overview

This stunning picture book will have young readers wondering about outer space and life on other planets while imparting a surprising and profound message of empathy. From the author/illustrator of Blue vs. Yellow and I Used to Be a Fish.

Do you ever look up at the night sky and wonder if there is anybody else out there?

Are there evil robots or cool aliens?

Do they fly in UFOs or live in futuristic cities?

Or maybe . . . they are just like us.

Out There is a wonder-filled, surprising journey of imagination and empathy, a book that will inspire readers of all ages to reflect on how much we all have in common, despite our differences.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062854490
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/14/2019
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Tom Sullivan is the author and illustrator of Out There, I Used to Be a Fish, and Blue vs. Yellow. Growing up he loved to read comic books and watch true crime TV shows, and now he feels lucky to be able to combine those interests in Unsolved Case Files. Tom resides with his family in Boston, MA. You can visit him online at www.thomasgsullivan.com.

Tom Sullivan is the author and illustrator of Out There, I Used to Be a Fish, and Blue vs. Yellow. Growing up he loved to read comic books and watch true crime TV shows, and now he feels lucky to be able to combine those interests in Unsolved Case Files. Tom resides with his family in Boston, MA. You can visit him online at www.thomasgsullivan.com.

Editorial Reviews

A playful look at extraterrestrial life.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

05/01/2019

K-Gr 2—A fun and lively take on the age-old question, "Is anybody else out there?" The opening spread shows a darkened night sky and the silhouettes of a young boy and girl observing the stars and planets with their telescope. They begin to banter back and forth about the possibility of alien life-forms and what they might look like. Would they be robots with tentacle arms? Extraterrestrials with big heads? Soon then they begin to wonder if maybe these hypothetical life-forms are just like them but different? Perhaps some are kind and some are mean and some take care of their planet and others don't. The book goes on to display lots of different looking humans and some pretty wacky looking animals. The story concludes with the silhouettes being revealed as aliens themselves heading back to their space ship. VERDICT A playful look at extraterrestrial life and a solid purchase for those looking to increase their sci-fi themed picture books. Bonus points for a key at the end that identifies the strange creatures featured as real animals that exist on planet Earth.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, MI

School Library Journal

★ 2019-03-03

This book is about the universe we call ours—and the not-so remote possibility that life might exist "out there."

Our universe is big—really big. Chances are likely that we are not alone in inhabiting it. But if someone else is out there, what form would that life have? "Creepy extraterrestrials" looking a bit like us, only with big, bald heads, pallid skin, and big, eerie eyes? Robotlike creatures? Fanged green bipeds with antennae and webbed feet? What would their attitude be toward us: evil and warmongering? Friendly and peaceful? But wait! What if that extraterrestrial life is just like ours, minding its own business on its remote planet? People who look just like us, with our diversity, both human and animal; an intelligent life-form behaving just like we do, on a planet just like ours? Author/illustrator Sullivan's tour de force comes in the form of a surprise in the last few pages: What if we, human beings inhabiting planet Earth, are someone else's alien life? An imaginative invitation to empathy and a serious reflection on otherness are hidden between the pages of an adorable and cleverly written piece. Candid and colorful illustrations on two-page spreads do justice to a simple and thought-provoking narrative, postulated scenes depicted in round frames, as if seen through a telescope.

Inspiring and perspective-granting. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews