Lights on Wonder Rock

This book displays some of the best visual storytelling on (quite literally) the planet.

A fantastical, partially wordless story tells of a girl and her fascination with all things extraterrestrial. Heather sits patiently on Wonder Rock with a flashlight until a UFO finally lands and she encounters a friendly alien.Though she wants to go with it to explore the unknown, she returns home, knowing her parents will miss her. From that day on she longs for the alien's return, and comes back to Wonder Rock to wait. As an elderly woman, her outer space friend returns. Yet again, she nearly ventures into space, but her loving children and grandchildren beckon her back. Litchfield talks directly to readers, repeating, "Time passed, as time does," along with wordless panels that effectively demonstrate the passage of a lifetime. Wordless pages also illustrate the interactions with the alien. The pictures are mesmerizing, with rich, dark forests, streaming magical moonlight, and a round silver UFO that flashes with pink and purple light. The opening spread shows a silhouette of red-headed Heather walking from a cabin in the spotlight of a moon hung low in a deep blue sky. And while there is a clear sense of longing throughout Heather's life, she is not consumed by it, nor is there trepidation or fear of the blue alien. VERDICT When Heather rejoices as her family finally meets her Wonder Rock friend, readers will be right there with her. A wondrous tale, this is recommended for picture book collections.—Clara Hendricks, Cambridge P.L., MA

Heather has glasses, a gap-toothed smile, and a burning desire to explore space: "She wanted more than anything to leave Earth behind and go to live among the stars." After sitting patiently with a flashlight on a huge boulder, she succeeds in attracting a UFO and makes the acquaintance of a tall, thoughtful alien. Her dream is about to come true--until she realizes that her parents will miss her, and she returns. The text is minimal; accomplished artwork by Litchfield (The Bear and the Piano) carries most of the story. Grids of small panels alternate with big, theatrically lit spreads as Heather's flashlight slices through the night and the spaceship casts a pink glow over the forest. Decades pass, and Heather--still waiting on Wonder Rock, remarkably--gets another chance. This time, though, it's Heather's young family that draws her back. The evidence for her life as a matriarch is uneven: after a long panel sequence depicts Heather playing with a child, four more kids of various ethnicities appear out of nowhere, all at once. Litchfield's friendly alien, who offers paper and crayons and cups of tea, provides the tale's most beguiling moments. Ages 4-7. (Sept.)