When a midnight racket draws Mr. Li to his yard, he finds three strangers. Bulbous eyes, blue skin, and with a shape “very hard to describe,” the obviously extraterrestrial beings declare they are “DEFINITELY human” and “having car trouble.” Mr. Li explains that the car repair will have to wait until daytime when stores are open and offers his home for the night. Although surprised by the visitors’ unique appearance and behavior the next morning, customers at the general store politely accept the differences and offer to help fix their car. With tools, food, and music from a radio, the community pitches in with a will to repair the “car” —a hot pink spherical spaceship. The gathering evolves into a party, although the guests require explanations of dancing and eating (hot dogs belong in the mouth, not the ear). With their vehicle mended, the visitors depart into the sky, carrying the memory of meeting those who “do what kind humans do­—offer help to those in need.” The message of kindness steers clear of sentimentality or didacticism by sticking to the hilariously deadpan delivery, augmented by the counterpoint between matter-of-fact text and illustrations that show the aliens in their other-worldly glory.

WINNER of the Ezra Jack Keats Best New Illustrator Award • An American Library Association Notable Children's Book

A hilarious alien invasion story with a feel-good message about what it means to be human. Perfect for earthlings of all ages.

When three mysterious visitors from "Europe" crash-land in Mr. Li's field, he does what any good host would: he invites them back to his farmhouse and offers to help fix up their "car". No, there's nothing strange about these guests at all. Just like other humans, they "make business", "play sportsball" and "wear hat". As the townsfolk also come to the aid of the visitors and the gathering turns into a little party, interplanetary relations reach an all-time high.

A sweetly funny extraterrestrial offering that explores surprising acts of kindness and acceptance, X. Fang's second picture book is truly out of this world.