The Spaceman

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.

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.