Life on Mars
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
In this sneaky, silly picture book for fans of Oliver Jeffers and Jon Klassen, an intrepid—but not so clever—space explorer is certain he’s found the only living thing on Mars
A young astronaut is absolutely sure there is life to be found on Mars. He sets off on a solitary mission, determined to prove the naysayers wrong. But when he arrives, equipped with a package of cupcakes as a gift, he sees nothing but a nearly barren planet. Finally, he spies a single flower and packs it away to take back to Earth as proof that there is indeed life on Mars. But as he settles in for the journey home, he cracks open his cupcakes—only to discover that someone has eaten them all!
Readers will love being in on the secret: Unbeknownst to the explorer, a Martian has been wandering through the illustrations the whole time—and he got himself a delicious snack along the way.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Dramatic irony rules this expedition to Mars, in which a young human roams the rocky environment, unaware that he is not alone. The sky is black, the landscape the color of dust. The frowning boy astronaut, who carries an incongruous white box tied with red string, delivers a dejected monologue: "It's dark. It's cold. I've brought this gift of chocolate cupcakes. I don't think I'll find anybody to eat them." He fails to notice the pear-shaped, cantaloupe-orange creature 20 times his size who is following and observing him. Agee's (Lion Lessons) quirky humor manifests in absurd elements such as the cupcake box, which the boy temporarily misplaces, and the anxious Martian, who pretends to be a hill when the astronaut loses sight of his rocket: "I bet I'll get a good view from the top of that mountain!" says the boy, unwittingly climbing the creature. The boy's discovery of a yellow flower confirms his speculation about "life on Mars," though he never notices the elephant in the room. It's satisfying silliness from start to finish, with a gotcha ending that will prompt requests for repeat readings. Ages 4 8.
