It Came From Outer Space

From Kirkus Reviewswe Were All In School When...An Alien Spaceship Crashed Through The Roof,'' Reports The Narrator, Who Goes On To Describe How Frightened They All Were Of The Monster'' That Climbed Out And Lumbered After Them, Finally Removing Its Helmet And Revealing A Face As Horrible As They Had Feared. Still, It Was Friendly, And They Took A Picture To Remember It By Before It Flew Away. In The Generalized, Attractively Colorful Illustrations, The Children Are Cleverly Posed So That Their Faces Are Never Shown Until The Endwhen It Develops That They Are Threeeyed And Green, Whereas The Monster'' Is A Fresh Faced Human. Satisfactory Sf For The Youngest, With A Salutary Message As A Dividend. (Picture Book. 48) Copyright 1992, Kirkus Associates, Lp. All Rights Reserved.Product Descriptiona Visitor From Outer Space Visits An Elementary School Class And Brings An Important Message About Physical Beautyfrom Publishers Weeklythe Notion Of A Parallel Universe Invades And Conquers The Picture Book Genre In This Ingenious And Very Funny Tale. Bradman'S Narrative Owes Its Droll Tone To His Spare, Matterof Fact ProseWe Were All In School, Working Hard, When . . . An Alien Spaceship Crashed Through The Roof. All The Facts Of This Friendly Extraterrestrial Visitation Are Revealed Here Save One: The Faces Of The Pupils And Teachers In The Ostensibly Normallooking Elementary School. At The End Of This Close Encounter The Students Conclude That The Alien Was A Very Friendly Monster, Even Though It Was So UglyThe Final Spread, However, Reveals The Real Surprise. The Bright Colors And Skewed Perspectives Of Wright'S Exuberant Tornpaper And Watercolor Paintings Add To The Waggishness, Making This A Terrific Choice To Share With The Early Elementary Set. Ages 48.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.From School Library Journalpreschoolgrade 2 A Classroom'S Calm Routine Is Shattered When A Spaceship Comes Crashing Through The Roof And A Spacesuited Creature Emerges. When The Monster Removes Its Helmet, The Children And Teacher Are Shocked At Its Ugliness. But The Alien Befriends The Group On Its Short Visit And They Successfully Overcome Their Initial Revulsion. The Final Page Reveals That The Monster Is Actually An Earthling Visiting Another Planet. The Collagelike Fullcolor Illustrations Bristle With Kinetic Energy. Wright'S Skillful Use Of Perspective And Point Of View Lulls Readers Into Thinking That The Class Is Full Of Humans Rather Than Extraterrestrials. Like Ross'S I'M Coming To Get You (Dial, 1984), The Surprise Denouement Depends On A Twist Of Perception. This Gentle Lesson On Beauty, Ugliness, And Acceptance, Coupled With Its Oftenrequested Space Theme, Makes This Story One That Young Readers Will Think Is Out Of This World. Marge Lochwouters, Menasha Public Library, Wicopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.