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, labelling 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. Marvelling at a varied landscape of flowers, butterflies, and other wondrous creatures, he finds a pond to float in and a goofy beast who seems to want to be his friend. Could it be that the Spaceman has found a new home? With deadpan humour, this simple and sophisticated story 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.

Telling the story from the spaceman’s first-person perspective is a masterstroke by Cecil. The spaceman’s voice, formal yet endearing, evokes a sense of nostalgia and humour that will delight both older readers and young listeners alike [...] Cecil’s storytelling is as thoughtful as it is whimsical [...] This beautifully crafted picture book captures the essence of discovery, wonder, and the unexpected beauty found in the most ordinary of places—a gentle reminder to stop, breathe, and appreciate life’s simple pleasures, preferably, with a dog. Books for Keeps
With gentle humour and wonder, Cecil invites readers to pause and appreciate the marvels of the small things nature offers us, brought to life through rich, textured illustrations that capture the spaceman’s growing awe. Books for Keeps, Books of the Year 2024
A clever, rather formal, first person narration together with gently humorous, hatched illustrations that provide perspective, enriching the text, make this a book that when shared with children, will give and keep on giving. Red Reading Hub
Lavishly illustrated. The Letterpress Project

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.

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