Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too

by Jomny Sun, Jonny Sun

The illustrated story of a lonely alien sent to observe Earth, where he meets all sorts of creatures with all sorts of perspectives on life, love, and happiness, while learning to feel a little better about himself—based on the enormously popular Twitter account.

Here is the unforgettable story of Jomny, an alien sent to study Earth. Always feeling apart, even among his species, Jomny feels at home for the first time among the earthlings he meets. There is a bear tired of other creatures running in fear, an egg struggling to decide what to hatch into, a turtle hiding itself by learning camouflage, a puppy struggling to express its true feelings, and many more.

The characters are unique and inventive—bees think long and hard about what love means, birds try to eat the sun, nothingness questions its own existence, a ghost comes to terms with dying, and an introverted hedgehog slowly lets Jomny see its artistic insecurities. At the same time, Jomny’s curious presence allows these characters to open up to him in ways they were never able to before, revealing the power of somebody who is just there to listen.

Everyone’s a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too is also the story behind the widely-shared and typo-filled @jonnysun twitter account. Since the beginning, Sun intentionally tweeted from an outsider’s perspective, creating a truly distinct voice. Now, that outsider has taken shape in the character of Jomny, who observes Earth with the same intelligent, empathetic, and charmingly naïve voice that won over his fans on social media. New fans will find it organic, and old fans will delight at seeing the clever words that made them fans in the first place.

Through this story of a lost, lonely and confused Alien finding friendship, acceptance, and love among the animals and plants of Earth, we will all learn how to be a little more human. And for all the earth-bound creatures here on this planet, we will all learn how sometimes, it takes an outsider to help us see ourselves for who we truly are.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comics, Science Fiction, Poetry, Humor, Graphic Novels Comics

256 pages, ebook

First published June 27, 2017

About the author

Penname of Jonny Sun

Jonathan Sun is the author behind @jonnysun and everyone’s a aliebn when ur a aliebn too (HarperPerennial, 2017). He also writes under the pen name Jonny Sun.
When he isn’t tweeting, he is an architect, designer, engineer, artist, playwright and comedy writer. His work across multiple disciplines broadly addresses narratives of human experience. As a playwright, Jonny’s work has been performed at the Yale School of Drama, and in Toronto at Hart House Theater and Factory Theater. As an artist and illustrator, his work has been exhibited at MIT, Yale, New Haven ArtSpace, and the University of Toronto. His work has been appeared on NPR, Buzzfeed, Playboy, GQ, and McSweeney’s. In his other life, he is a doctoral student at MIT and Berkman Klein fellow at Harvard.

Reviews

[Jesse (JesseTheReader)]

this was delightful

[chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

‣ 25 august 2021
★★★★★

‣ 29 august 2022
buddy read with tess
★★★★★

‣ 22 september 2021
buddy read
★★★★★

‣ 5 july 2022
buddy read with twitch chat
★★★★★

‣ 5 january 2023
buddy read with kevin
★★★★★

[Whitney Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'd been meaning to reread this for a while since i have such fond memories of reading it, so after a hard week i decided i needed a pick me up. and this supplied exactly that--and a couple giggles.

this book is both dumb and uplifting. i find it so interesting that when i read it over six years ago (!!!!) i resonated with certain parts of it, and now i'm identifying with different parts of it and seeing some of the advice from a new perspective. just so, so sweet and very much needed.

--

original review, 2018

"the comforting thing about feeling lonely is that every thing that has ever existed also knows what loneliness feels like too. you may be sad because you are sad. it is ok to be sad. but if you are sad because happiness is fleeting, just remember that sadness is also fleeting too."

This is the most wholesome book I have ever read in my entire life. It's a new favorite of all time, and definitely something I'll return to when I have anxiety. It's so BEAUTIFUL and SWEET and it's relevant and deep and has so many good one-liners and it's just so so so so pure. Wow.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

you know, just a casual sunday where i sobbed my eyes out

[Elle (ellexamines on TT & Substack) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guys, this is 3 1/2 star, because I have to say: read this. It's like philosophy meets self help meets a whole lot of puns. Honestly, after what happened last week, this kind of short book was exactly what the fuck I needed - Aliebn is a super short, super easy read that’s also incredibly positive.



The tone is this strange mix of nihilism and optimism that totally works, and though the book remains super light, it doesn't stray from dark stuff. I honestly feel like all my faith in humanity was saved by this one, singular book, because holy CRAP. Cannot recommend enough.

Also, PUNS:



Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Youtube

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really sweet, but I don't feel like it was as life altering for me as it seems to have been for others :( big womp.

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Um... not my style.

Just some random motivational/ironic quotes with simple drawings that's sorta supposed to be inspiring I guess..?

[April (Aprilius Maximus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

literally the most precious book in the world

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I give this 10 stars out of 5?? This is a lovely graphic novel full of complex life truths shared in the simplest of ways. Will be rereading in the future whenever I need an energy boost!

[Kevin (Irish Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m now truly inspired by a Hedgehog and a Snail! So shoutout to them. They’re iconic!

[Melanie Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is balm for a seered soul in a busy, amgry, scary world, one that demamds we nevebr mak mistakes, nevebr slow down, nevebr have doubts, nevebr trust anyome to much because they will screw us ovebr, and always no exactly who we r and wat we r doimg. Not just a cute book, but thought provokimg and helbful.

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am just being happy that i get to feel sad.

[ally]

:,) <3

[ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are sad because happiness is fleeting, just remember that sadness is also fleeting too.

This is one of the most WHOLESOME things on this entire earth. I will fight anyone who wants to say otherwise in a very un-wholesomey way because this is just one of the most pure things I’ve ever, ever encountered. I was expecting to hate it, because I’m one of those people who’s always fixing grammar issues and I saw the front cover and the title and I was like...Uhhh. But it worked. I put up with it. It is so much more than the spelling of the words.

tell me about yourself!
Oh gee...well...um, nobody had ever asked me about myself. Hmm...well, I guess everybody tells me I am too small and too slow to make a difference in this world but I am making a difference in my world and I hope that is enough.

I want to make copies of some of the pages and put it on my walls, send it to my friends, everything. These are so many insecurities put into words with little drawings and they make you feel heard. And understand. And less alone, because if these animals could get through them, so can you. I just am so glad I gave this a chance. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I just got like a reason to be happy for the rest of my life. And that’s a huge thing.

What’s wrong?
Sometimes a caterpillar will wait too long and die in its cocoon before ever becoming a butterfly.

Y’all, these metaphors. I teared up. I just. I feel like all the things it’s implying, even though they are done in such a small way, mean so much to someone’s who’s seen people go through things like this. Who’s had experience with it.

[Althea ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was so thought-provoking but also immensely heart-warming and comforting

therapy is expensive, this book isn't

"everybody tells me I am too small and too slow to make a difference in this world but I am making a difference in my own world and I hope that is enough."

happiness is sometimes so simple and also so complicated

[Korrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly emotional, especially if you’ve ever lost someone close to you.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s hard to rate this confection of a book. It’s thoughtful and warm hearted, exploring issues around love, meaning, art, aspiration and nothingness - perfectly suited for our internet attention spans. It feels like a collection of web comics. Each page is crudely drawn as if with a thick Sharpie and typed by a fat fingered child. I liked it as a physical artifact. It’s a hefty hardback that binds cotton candy content.

PS. Loved the nod to the Giving Tree.

[Gypsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

ای خدا. چقدر خوب بود! هم طنز داشت، هم نقد داشت، هم فلسفه داشت، هم داستان داشت، هم تصویرهای معرکه داشت، هم ناراحتی داشت، هم خوشحالی داشت... دلم می‌خواد نسخۀ چاپیش رو داشته باشم. خیلی گوگولی بود. :(

[Mariah Roze · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book because it made it to the top books for graphic novels for Goodreads for 2017. And to be honest, I have no idea how it made it to the top. The book was super boring, with no real plot and terrible English. I never do this... but I suggest by passing this book and spending time on something better!

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where do I belong? That is the important question being asked by this little aliebn. This is cute and should be thought provoking. It is a quick read.

I do like the end. It's ok to be sad when you lose friends, as it means you felt something is the gist.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything happens for a raisin



This book reminds me a lot of the Little Prince. It is a book that can be appreciated by children and adults alike, with beautiful illustrations and even more beautiful life lessons.

This little adorable piece of literature also has something to say about all of us:



And it's packed with humour:



This is a book that you should buy and pick up whenever you are sad - or even happy. This is a book for all occasions.



This is a book about life and death and everything in-between. Most importantly, it is a book about love, as experienced by an egg-headed little alien on his journey through earth.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The truth is we all achieve greatness. The only difference is the size of our audiences."

That was one of the most precious, delightful, wholesome, inspirational things I've ever read. I loved little Jomny and the "humabns" so very much.

[kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I picked this up, I wasn't expecting to find an all new favourite book but sure enough, that's exactly what I found. From the first page until the last, I was smiling from ear to ear, whilst simultaneously not knowing whether to laugh or cry. This was simply wonderful. It was heartwarming, hilarious, relatable and utterly adorable. Not only did this book have me relating to an onion and and egg, it had me relating to a hedgehog on such a deep and emotional level, I'm now questioning my entire existence. Simply put, this book made my heart feel very full.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

sometimes the most perfecbt home is made out of the space between two hands.

oh my. this lil book is the terribly sweet, melancholy, unexpectedly deep story of an alien whose mission is to learn about humans on earth. they learn lots of bittersweet wisdom from the plants and animals of earth. it's so funny and tender and profound!!



and despite the simple art style, the adorable facial expressions are so resonant!!



there's an especially sweet part about internalizing the traits we admire in others, so we become living memorials to them. isn't that such a comfort?

goodbyes are terribly hard. i read this gentle book while i was having a rough few days, and it's a superb method of self care. absolutely recommended.

never be sad abot the past. it has alredy hapened and you canot change it. instead, focus on wat truly matters: being sad abot the future.

[♛ may · Rating 4 out of 5]

book #7 completed! for the reading rush, under the challenge of: "read a book you meant to read last year" ✓

this was the cutest, depressing book i've ever read omg i wanna hug little jomny.

someone remind me to write an actual review for this bc some of these pages were so funny and and soft and sad

[Mohadese · Rating 4 out of 5]

× اولین کتاب ۱۴۰۰ ×
‌
▪︎درباره کتاب:
این کتاب درمورد یه فرا زبینی به‌نام "جامنی" که با بغیه همکارانش متفاوته، اون به زبین اعزاب میشه تا در مورد ابسانا بیشتر تحقیق کنه.
اولین ابسانی که جامنی ملاغات می‌کنه یه درخته!
حالا جامنی برای اولین بار با مفاهیمی مثل عشق، دوستی و... آشنا می‌شه و اهساس می‌کنه به این جای قریب تعلق داره!
تو این کتاب زبین رو از زاویه دید یه فضایی می‌بینیم!

▪︎چیزی که فکر می‌کردم:
می‌دونستم یِ چیزی تو مایه‌های شازده کوچولوعه و به پیشنهاد یکی از دوستانم گرفتمش.

▪︎چیزی که تجربه کردم:
بعزی از کتابا (مثل این کتاب) بِ اسم کودک و نوجوان چاپ و ترجمه میشه، اما واغعیتش اینه‌که شاید بِ چشم بچه‌ها صرفا یِ داستاب با تصاویر جذاب باشه، ولی به‌نذر من واقعا این دست کتاب‌ها واسه بزرگترها و تلنگر زدن به اون‌هاست تا دوباره به معنای مفاهیبی مثل عشق، دوستی، هنر، تنهایی، پذیرش، بیگانه بودن و.... فکر کنند.
این کتاب با جملات ساده و تصاویر بینیمالش حرف‌های اَمیقی داره کِ بی‌تونه زهنتون رو به جالش بکشه.
بدون اقراغ می‌گم برخی صفهاتش رو چندبار خوندم، فکر کردم و از این اشاره‌ی ضریف و زیبا لبخند به لبم اومد.

▪︎ چیزی که یاد گرفتم:
این رو قبلن از کتاب "پسرک، موش کور، روباه و اسب" -یا یِ چیزی تو این مایه‌ها- هم یاد گرفته بودم،
گاهی باید با خودت خلوت کنی و بپرسی "عشق یعنی چی؟" "دوستی چه معنایی داره؟" "تنهایی خوبه؟" "و...؟" و در پاسخ باید برگردی بِ ریشه‌ها و ببینی معنا چی بوده، ارزش چِ بوده و تو الان کجای راهی تا حسابِ کار دستت بیاد!

▪︎ترجمه و نحوه نگارش:
من عاشق نویسنده‌هاییم کِ سبک خاسی دارن، چِ تو نهوه روایت، چه نوشتار و رسم‌الخط، یا در لحن و بازی با کلمات.
این کتاب هم پر از قلط‌های املایی عمدیه، کِ کیوتی‌شو دو چندان کرده!
البته سه شخصیت هستند که به عمد اشتباه سُحبت نمی‌کنند و رسم الخط عادی دارند! (خودتون پیداشون کنید و بِ چراش فکر کنید، من بگم کِ مزه‌ش میره!)
مترجم هم سعی کرده تا این قلط‌ها و سبک نگارش نویسنده رو حفض کنه.

▪︎به کیا پیشنهاد می‌کنم:
به ۸ الی ۸۸ سال اگه دنبال یِ کتاب سرگرم‌کننده و راهت‌خوان هستند.

▪︎سخن آخر از زبان کتاب:
ابّا ما نمی‌خایم بمیریم. تُ می‌دونی تصمیم گرفتن واسه این‌که یکی رو نیش بزنی یا نه چقد سخته؟ نیش زدن خِلی به‌شون آسیب می‌زنه! خِلی! باعث می‌شه مام بمیریم پس از یه طرف ما می‌میریم و از طرف دیگه بقیه‌مون زنده می‌مونن. تو هَبون لحظه به تنها چیزی که فکر می‌کنیم محافظت از اوناییه که دوسشون داریم. دلمون نمی‌خاد بمیریم ولی اگه بدونی با مرگت خیلی‌ها زنده می‌مونن جی؟ اگه باید بمیرم، دلیلش اینه که ان‌قدر عزیزامو دوست دارم که حاضرم برای محافظت ازشون هرکاری بکنم. اگه باید بمیرم، ارزشش رو داره چون این کار یعنی عزیزام دیگه جونشون رو از دست نمی‌دن. اونا می‌تونن به زندگی‌شون ادامه بدن. عاشق باشن. خوشحال باشن. ناراحت باشن. حتی اگه اون‌جا نباشب، خیالم راحته که دلیل بودنشون من بودم. می‌فهمی؟ می‌دونی همچین عشقی چِ حسی داره؟

[Katie Colson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vlog/Review: https://youtu.be/3LtrFimU5g0

I finally get it. I saw so many people talking about this years ago and never picked it up cause it's such a rudimentary art style.

But this reads more like poetry.
It is beautiful and breaks your heart just as much as it warms it. It's about loss and growth and friends and art.

"A friend is anyone or anything who shares a life with you that you would never be able to experience without them."

"The harder it is to say goodbye to somebody, the luckier you are to have met somebody you're going to miss."

[Chad · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guess I just don't get it. This is on most of the best of 2017 lists, but I can't for the life of me see why. Some people take it as this existential look at life. I took it as a syrupy sweet, cloying book about nothing and found it a complete waste of time.

[Mrinmayi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was cute ,adorable and thought provoking .
Though I am still confused to write my thoughts
It's better if you dive into this book without knowing much and enjoy the experience of exploring the living world through an alien's perspective 👽👽

[Lizz · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautifull and quiebt and hapy an sad.