A picture book about a dog, intergalactic travel, and friendship that has plenty of boy appeal.
Dalrmartian: A Mars Rover’s Story by Lucy Cummins. Atheneum, 2024. 48 pages.
- Reading Level: Picture books, ages 4-8
- Recommended For: Ages 4-8
A green-spotted dalmartian (dalmatian from Mars) is inadvertently left behind during a research expedition on earth and gains firsthand experience with a young boy named Stephen as his host. The boy, who assumes that his visitor is a stray dog, offers accommodations accordingly, but the dalmartian refuses to accept sleeping on the floor, eating dog food, and wearing a leash. Instead, he prefers bacon and considers the behavior of other dogs at the park appalling. At first the dalmartian longs for the return of the vehicle that will take him home, but after a couple days he finds that he enjoys the companionship of Stephen and that leaving earth isn’t what he wants after all.
The text is a little long, but the limited-palette illustrations have a classic feel and offer details that a reader may not notice in the first reading. The title character is only identified as “visitor” or “guest” until he realizes that Stephen has become his “friend.”
Considerations:
- Bathroom Humor: Dogs have certain “nosy” sniffing habits and lack of concern for privacy in their “business.” Be prepared for extra giggles (and look for the chapter on “It’s Okay to be Funny” in our book coming out this fall!)
Bottom Line: Dalmartian is a picture book about a dog, intergalactic travel, and friendship that has plenty of boy appeal. A Redeemed Reader Book of the Year Runner-Up.
Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader
- Review: Don’t Trust Fish is another quirky, humorous read worth checking out!
- Review: The Darkest Dark is the story of a young boy who loves to pretend he’s bravely fighting aliens from outer space all day long; but at night, he’s afraid of the dark!
- Review: Wazdot? is another fun alien story
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