We're Off to Look for Aliens [Hardcover]

Colin McNaughton (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 10, 2008 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

It’s a book within a book! Wonderfully wacky as ever, Colin McNaughton sets off in search of strange and silly aliens.

When an author gets his book in the mail, he’s nervous to have his family read it. And no wonder! It stars a guy who takes off in a rocket ship and meets a ghastly array of alien creatures — some smelly, some with eyes in their belly — and one lovely alien who steals his heart. Madcap rhymes and zany illustrations will tickle kids’ funny bones, while a book within a book drives home a final twist.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3—Employing the trademark goofy humor and kid-friendly illustrations that make his books popular with young audiences, McNaughton revisits outer space. Dad, a children's book author and illustrator (whose characters look an awful lot like those from McNaughton's oeuvre), receives a copy of his newest title in the mail from the publisher. He immediately hands it over to his family for review, nervously leaving to walk the dog rather than watch their response. Readers then open to a copy of his book, a paperback volume literally pasted onto a page of the framing story. This book-within-a-book tells a silly rhyming space adventure of a man (who looks a lot like Dad) and his dog (who strongly resembles the family pet) as they encounter and interact with extraterrestrial beings. Not only do they find adventure among the aliens, but they also find love. The family's response to this publication includes a comic twist that will be appreciated by children. Shared in a group setting or one-on-one, this engaging selection is certain to be enjoyed for the colorful cartoon illustrations and the imaginative story.—Piper Nyman, Brookmeade Elementary School, Nashville, TN
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Review

"...an intergalactic parade of space oddities, deliciously detailed with mad staring eyeballs, warty pic'n'mix complexions and sink-plunger extremities." The Guardian on Here Come the Aliens" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (June 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763636363
• ISBN-13: 978-0763636364
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 0.4 x 10.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #610,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Science Fiction for Beginners, June 19, 2009

By 

Learner (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We're Off to Look for Aliens (Hardcover)

I am a science fiction fan. I believe my interest began in 2nd grade when my teacher would read a chapter from a book every day after lunch. As I recall one of the books she read was "Have Spacesuit, Will Travel" by Robert Heinlein. I went on to read every science fiction book in the school library and continue to read science fiction today. I was in the 2nd grade some 53 years ago so that is quite a few books.

Well, now I have a daughter who is a 2nd grade teacher. She asked me to come read to her class. I only had one hour so I could not read a chapter book. I wanted to find a book that would be a good intro to science fiction but not too difficult. Her class is an inclusion classroom so there is a wide range of comprehension skills. I settled on "We're Off To Look For Aliens". The idea of a book within a book really got their attention. The graphics led to a great discussion about each page as well as the text. And the surprise ending really set the hook! We had to go back and look for clues or the lack of them! I think that Colin McNaughton has created a few more science fiction fans.

I highly recommend this book for children up to 2nd grade level.

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Read!, September 11, 2010

By 

Shan - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: We're Off to Look for Aliens (Hardcover)

My daughter loves this book. We read it every night. It has two (2) books in one, and has a little twist at the end! Colin McNaughton has another really great book called The Aliens Are Coming.

5.0 out of 5 stars Best alien book for a 3 year old, May 7, 2010

By 

janaki (chantilly, va) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: We're Off to Look for Aliens (Paperback)

My 3 year old is into aliens and this book was his favorite! The fact that the dad 'wrote' this book drives home the point that someone actually writes books and there are people such as 'authors' :) Strange concept for a 3 year old ;) And then the rhyming style, pictures of different types of aliens to spark creativity, and the joke at the end are all great! I love reading it over and over and we even wrote similar poems to the book that I had my son create! I love this book and strongly recommend this to any alien lover.