• Age: 4 to 8
• Grade: p to 3
• Reading age: 4 to 8

From the bestselling creator of Stumpkin and Vampenguin comes a whimsical picture book about the unexpected friendship that blooms between a boy and a dog of intergalactic origins.

A visitor from outer space comes to Stephen’s yard one night. It may look like a Dalmatian, but it certainly doesn’t act like one. At first, Stephen and the visitor get off on the wrong paw. They quibble over kibble, debate sleeping arrangements, and must abandon earth dogs’ approach to bathroom breaks altogether to keep the peace. Is a shared love of bacon a strong enough foundation for this ordinary earth boy and extraordinary out-of-this-world canine to learn to live in harmony?

Lucy Ruth Cummins is an author, an illustrator, and art director of children’s books. She has been happily paired with Jean Reidy for Truman, which was named a New York Times Best Children’s Book of 2019, and Sylvie. She also is the author-illustrator of A Hungry Lion, or A Dwindling Assortment of Animals; Stumpkin; and Vampenguin. When she was little, she had a pet spider in the shed where her dad kept the lawnmower. Every day little Lucy caught flies and placed them in her spider’s web at mealtimes. Lucy was born in Montreal, raised in upstate New York, and lives with her little family in Brooklyn, New York.

Lucy Ruth Cummins' profile page

One night, a UFO lands in an ordinary backyard, and three green-spotted, dog-like aliens—Dalmartians—climb out and begin “collecting, bagging, and tagging specimens.” When a boy named Stephen spots them, two of the Dalmartians flee, leaving one behind. Stephen is a gracious host and invites the alien into his house, but, despite similar looks to its terrestrial kin, this dog refuses to eat regular kibble or wear a leash. Compromise leads them on a two-legged walk to the park, where the alien dog is horrified by the prodding noses and shameless potty behaviors of the Earth pups. The alien canine nonetheless bonds with Stephen, and by the time otherworldly rescue comes, Stephen has made room for the peculiarities that come paw-in-paw with an alien dog. The art is as charming and quirky as the premise—the characters are drawn in minimalist charcoal strokes with much of their emotion conveyed through body language, and the alien’s neon-green coloring pops on every page to remind viewers of its out-of-this-world origin. Details in the background, like a cat looking on horrified at a “dog” walking on two legs or the alien running water in the bathroom for extra privacy, add to the silliness. The emphasis on compromise between Stephen and his guest effectively applies to both friendship and pet ownership, with Stephen’s expectations for how a dog should act constantly adapting to the Dalmartian’s needs and vice versa. Give this picture book to imaginative kiddos who might wonder what fantastical shenanigans their adopted pets were up to before settling down with their families. NB

5/1/24

"A loving look at a friendship that spans the stars above."

03/01/2024

" Spontaneous-feeling ink and charcoal line drawings, digitally finished, give the spreads plenty of terrestrial humor as the pages suggest that the satisfaction of human companionship offers life as a dog on Earth ample rewards."

2/12/2024