Zita the Spacegirl

Zita the Spacegirl

by Ben Hatke

Zita is an unremarkable girl, playing with her friend Joseph in the fields around her house, until the path of adventure confronts her. She and Joseph discover a small box at the bottom of a fresh crater that opens a portal to another world. When Joseph is pulled through by some tentacled thing, Zita discovers the hero within and chases after.


On a strange new world, full of myriad bizarre aliens (giant snails! creatures with lots of eyes and lots of limbs! hairy things, clutching their handbags!), Zita feels small and lost, until she befriends a giant alien named Strong Strong. Through her grit, deep compassion, and ability to inspire others to greatness, she brings together robots, aliens, and other people to help her save Joseph. In the end, she saves Joseph, discovers the selfless hero at her core, and (like Dorothy in Oz) helps her friends reveal their own better selves.

Author and illustrator Ben Hatke has put together a delightfully heartwarming book. His exquisitely detailed drawings and delightful tale of adventure and heroism are sure to inspire the little person in your life (and you too!).  Hatke deftly weaves a story of self-discovery and empowerment for young people, that is also rewarding for young adult and adult readers alike.

As an added bonus, this is a great read out loud book. By their posture, word choice, and the typography in the speech bubbles, each character has a unique voice - they clearly tell you how they should sound.

With his gorgeous art, quick story telling, and inspiring story, this is an excellent introduction to the genre of comics/graphic novels. I highly recommend Zita the Spacegirl!

Zita the Spacegirl
by Ben Hatke

Mr. Wuffles!

Mr. Wuffles!

by David Wiesner

Our brave adventurers have made landfall on a strange new planet. As they prepare to leave their ship, they are attacked by a ferocious beast - a house cat called Mr. Wuffles.

When Mr. Wuffles tires of his new plaything, discarding the smoking ship among his other toys, the crew discovers that they can't repair their broken ship. They must go out and search for help to repair their damaged drive.

They make their way through Mr. Wuffles' house, finding shelter behind the radiator. There they discover and befriend a society of ants and ladybirds. The insects have chronicled their past battles with Mr. Wuffles in elaborate cave paintings, commemorating their fallen comrades.

After sharing some food, their insect hosts help the aliens make repairs to their damaged ship. Through teamwork, the aliens and insects perform a daring escape. The aliens get away and the insects return to their cave to commemorate their victory with their new extraterrestrial friends.

In this almost wordless picture book, David Wiesner deftly tells a compelling story about inter-species cooperation and friendship. The rich coloring and clever details make this a rewarding book to 'read' with your child. The story changes a bit every time and you can encourage creative story telling by encouraging your young collaborator to help tell the story.

Mr. Wuffles! by David Wiesner