Genres
Collection
Description
A UFO loses its way in space and settles down on a strange blue planet where it meets a young boy and they become friends.
Publication
Andersen Press (2007), Edition: New, 32 pages
User reviews
LibraryThing member cmiersma
This is the story of a UFO who lands onto Earth to be met by a little boy who befriends him. They boy shows the UFO Earth, and the UFO takes the boy on a ride around space. In the end, the UFO must return to his planet, but not before the boy gives the UFO a dandelion to bring back with him.
The
A teacher could use this book in a classroom to teach students more about outer space. There are some good pictures of space in this book that students could look at and get an idea of what things might look like. Teachers could also introduce the idea of UFO's and that like this book, there is no such thing, but how it is often fun to make stories about UFO's.
Media: Oil Paint
One of the main characters in this book is the little boy. He has no lines in this book, but his character seems to grow as he gets to spend more time with his UFO friend. He at first seems like a scard little boy, but soon developes into someone that cares and relates to his new friend.
The
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book is a good example of science fiction because things like UFO's are a type of fantasy that includes science and possibly technology. Although this book does not contain any type of serious conflict that most science fiction story have. A teacher could use this book in a classroom to teach students more about outer space. There are some good pictures of space in this book that students could look at and get an idea of what things might look like. Teachers could also introduce the idea of UFO's and that like this book, there is no such thing, but how it is often fun to make stories about UFO's.
Media: Oil Paint
One of the main characters in this book is the little boy. He has no lines in this book, but his character seems to grow as he gets to spend more time with his UFO friend. He at first seems like a scard little boy, but soon developes into someone that cares and relates to his new friend.
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LibraryThing member raizel
Told from an alien's point of view, a story about an alien and a boy meeting, playing, traveling on a UFO, and becoming friends. We never see the alien; what we see is the earth from his (its?) eyes (visual receivers?). Very straight-forward and lacking in grand adventures. (Not a complaint.)
LibraryThing member SJKessel
Kitamura, S. (1989). UFO Diary. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux
0374380260
Appetizer: An alien shares his story (a diary entry?) of how he/she/it took a wrong turn and landed on Earth where he/she/it made a new friend.
I put the diary entry part as a question above because there is no actual mention
I liked the illustrations of this book. The dark blues that capture space are beautiful. The faces the human boy makes when he sees the narrator are humorous and cute (although, the boy is so pale, he looks kinda like a particularly expressive zombie).
The strengths of these illustrations is how completely they're given from the perspective of the alien. The visitor's body is never shown and the reader is always seeing from his/her/its perspective so they can see the familiar world in a new light.
The final illustration--I won't give away what it is of--reminded me strongly of one of the sketches in de Saint-Exupery's classic, The Little Prince. I'd be willing to bet money this was done intentionally. Let's say, two dollars, maybe? (I never said I'd bet a lot of money.)
Dinner Conversation:
"On Monday, I took a wrong turn in the Milky Way."
"There in front of me was a strange blue planet, bright as a glass ball."
"...until I saw a creature. It stared at me as I landed."
"What an odd-looking thing!
It spoke and I could not understand'
but I smiled. It smiled back.
Then I knew he was going to be my friend."
To Go with the Meal:
This book presents a fun perspective. It shares the relatable tensions of going to a new place and wanting to make friends (even when the potential friends don't speak the same language).
Since a white bunny and several other animals are shown in a number of the illustrations, students can seek out and find the bunny.
Also, after having read (or heard aloud) this book, kids could write their own diary entries from the perspective of someone or something that has had different experiences from their own. To help present an activity like this one, a teacher could also share some of Doreen Cronin's picturebooks, including Diary of a Worm, Diary of a Spider, Diary of a Fly, and on and on.
Tasty Rating: !!!
0374380260
Appetizer: An alien shares his story (a diary entry?) of how he/she/it took a wrong turn and landed on Earth where he/she/it made a new friend.
I put the diary entry part as a question above because there is no actual mention
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(or showing) of a diary throughout the story. Instead, this is a first person account in an alien's childlike voice. This makes me wonder if Kitamura and the publisher had trouble picking a name for the book.I liked the illustrations of this book. The dark blues that capture space are beautiful. The faces the human boy makes when he sees the narrator are humorous and cute (although, the boy is so pale, he looks kinda like a particularly expressive zombie).
The strengths of these illustrations is how completely they're given from the perspective of the alien. The visitor's body is never shown and the reader is always seeing from his/her/its perspective so they can see the familiar world in a new light.
The final illustration--I won't give away what it is of--reminded me strongly of one of the sketches in de Saint-Exupery's classic, The Little Prince. I'd be willing to bet money this was done intentionally. Let's say, two dollars, maybe? (I never said I'd bet a lot of money.)
Dinner Conversation:
"On Monday, I took a wrong turn in the Milky Way."
"There in front of me was a strange blue planet, bright as a glass ball."
"...until I saw a creature. It stared at me as I landed."
"What an odd-looking thing!
It spoke and I could not understand'
but I smiled. It smiled back.
Then I knew he was going to be my friend."
To Go with the Meal:
This book presents a fun perspective. It shares the relatable tensions of going to a new place and wanting to make friends (even when the potential friends don't speak the same language).
Since a white bunny and several other animals are shown in a number of the illustrations, students can seek out and find the bunny.
Also, after having read (or heard aloud) this book, kids could write their own diary entries from the perspective of someone or something that has had different experiences from their own. To help present an activity like this one, a teacher could also share some of Doreen Cronin's picturebooks, including Diary of a Worm, Diary of a Spider, Diary of a Fly, and on and on.
Tasty Rating: !!!
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LibraryThing member Miss_Annie_O
This fantasy book follows an alien traveling through space. On Monday, they went into the Milky Way system and encountered "Earth." They explored the planet and found many islands and seas until it came across a "creature..." As the alien came out of his vessel, the two creatures quickly became
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friends and spent the entire day together until it was time for the alien to go back home; but first, it gave the little boy a ride in the spaceship! When it was finally time to part ways, the little boy gave the alien a yellow flower to remember earth by - the alien planted it in space. Show Less
LibraryThing member QianqiongWang
UFO DIARY is a fantasy book that about an alien shares his story about how he landed on earth and had a new friend there, the alien saw plants and animals on the earth, and then he came back to his planet. This picture book uses an alien as a narrator but we cannot see what he or she looks like,
The illustrations of this book are color-penciled. The dark blue that capture space are beautiful.
Usage: This book is good for kindergarten children. And teacher can use this cute and humorous book tells them about UFO and be friendly even when we meet someone we don’t know.
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which is funny but let me feel a little bit confused at the beginning.The illustrations of this book are color-penciled. The dark blue that capture space are beautiful.
Usage: This book is good for kindergarten children. And teacher can use this cute and humorous book tells them about UFO and be friendly even when we meet someone we don’t know.
Show Less
Awards
NCTE Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for Pre-K—Grade 6 (10th Edition: 1988-1992)
Language
Original language
Japanese
Original publication date
1989
Physical description
32 p.; 8 inches
ISBN
1842705911 / 9781842705919