There's an Alien in Your Book

Who's in Your Book?

by Tom Fletcher, Greg Abbott (Illustrator)

A new interactive adventure from the team that brought you There's a Monster in Your Book and its companions, There's a Dragon in Your Book and There's an Elf in Your Book ! This time, an adorable alien has crash-landed in YOUR book!

Readers will enjoy jiggling, bouncing, and turning their book around as they try to launch Alien back up into space--because aliens don't belong on Earth...do they? This companion to There's a Monster in Your Book and There's a Dragon in Your Book is packed full of interactive fun, with a gentle message about openness, acceptance, and inclusion that will speak to the very youngest readers.

Tom Fletcher is one of Britain's bestselling children's authors (in addition to being a rock star!), and his YouTube videos have been viewed tens of millions of times.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Aliens, Storytime, Humor, Space, Science Fiction

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 16, 2019

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Tom Fletcher is one of the UK's most popular children's authors. Tom's books have been translated into 41 languages and to date he has sold over 6 million copies of his books in the UK alone, and 10 million globally.

The Christmasaurus was the biggest debut children's novel of 2016 and was shortlisted for a British Book Award. Since then, Tom has published several more chart-topping children's novels, including The Christmasaurus and the Naughty List, The Creakers and the instant number-one bestseller The Danger Gang.

For younger readers, Tom writes the incredibly successful Who's in Your Book? picture-book series and is one half of the author duo behind the Dinosaur that Pooped picture-book series with bandmate Dougie Poynter.

For older readers, Tom co-authors the Eve of Man series with his wife, Giovanna Fletcher.

As well as his career as an author, Tom is also a founding member of the Brit Award-winning band McFly, which has sold over 10 million records worldwide.

Reviews

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s time for another Who’s in Your Book? book. This book’s Who is an adorable little alien whose spaceship has crashed through its pages.

I managed to find an excerpt at Penguin UK so prepare yourself for image overload!

The interaction begins almost straight away because we need to find out just Who has invaded our book.

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No! Don’t be mean to our potential intergalactic friend. What would Mulder think if he saw you being anything less than welcoming?

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See what you did? Poor little guy.

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I’ll help! May I come with you, happy Alien friend?

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Oh, no. Our travel plans have been delayed. [I will not make a comment about 2020. I will not make a comment about 2020.]

It’s now up to you, dear reader, to keep following the instructions to help Alien. Along the way we’re reminded that diversity is wonderful, with a message of inclusion. And there’s a bonus cameo from Monster so I’m a pretty happy camper.

I really enjoy how interactive this series is. As usual, Greg Abbott’s illustrations bring our new little Who to life, with all of their emotions clearly depicted, and the colours are as vibrant and fun as I’ve come to expect.

I just hope there’s room on the spaceship for me.

Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tom Fletcher and Greg Abbott, the British author/illustrator team who previously collaborated on There’s a Monster in Your Book and There's a Dragon in Your Book , return to the form in this third title in the series, this time devoted to a little alien who crash lands on Earth. The reader is given instructions throughout - shaking the book, turning it different ways, and so on - as the story proceeds to explore how the little alien can be helped. In the end, a character from one of the previous books appears and lends a hand...

As with its two predecessors, I found There's an Alien in Your Book to be a sweet, entertaining little book, one that is sure to please young story-time audiences. The various instructions will involve children in the storytelling process, and remind me quite a bit of books like Hervé Tullet's Press Here . I'm always impressed when picture-book creators manage to make their stories interactive, without resorting to any paper engineering or other special published features, so kudos to Fletcher for that. The accompanying artwork from Abbott is colorful and cute, and will no doubt keep young children's attention. All in all, a worthy follow-up to the earlier books, and one I would recommend to picture-book readers who enjoy interactive stories, or who are looking for sweeter alien adventures.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love these little books! They’re so fun and engaging and the kiddos seem to really love interacting with them! The illustrations are precious!

[Prince William Public Libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom Fletcher and Greg Abbot never disappoint with the “Who’s in Your Book?” series.

In this story, a spaceship crashes into your book and the audience is encouraged to interact with the cute little alien inside. This unique interaction between the reader and their audience is what makes this book so much fun, especially for toddler and preschool story time. It engages the reader by having them jiggle the book, turn it upside down, and raise it high in the air to play with and try to help the alien go back into space.

I believe kids will enjoy this book because it requires interaction and movement, and inspires their imagination. I highly recommend this book for your little ones.

- Luis A., PWPL Staff

Click here to find the book at Prince William Public Libraries.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing idea!

At first, in this story, you're trying to get the alien out of the book- because he's different from everyone on Earth. We spin the book, turning it upside down, side to side, shake it, and more!
Then we realize everybody on Earth is different, so it's okay for him to stay. And we shouldn't be mean to someone just because they're different from us.
The alien decides he wants to go back to space, after accepting the apology, so we help him blast off home.

Very recommended! This is my favourite so far of the ones I've read. Phenomenal.
The 2 and 5 year old boys I watch love it.

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute!!!! I love this series so much

[MeganRuth - Alohamora Open a Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

"...we're all weird and wonderful..."

Fletcher has wrote another fun interactive, There's an ______ in your book.

Definitely a great addition to the series.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

"OH NO!
A spaceship has crash-landed in your book!
What a lot of smoke!
I think something is there....
Blow the smoke away
and turn the page....
AAAARGH! It's an ALIEN!"

And that's the start of this lovely interactive story. Keep turning the pages. Let's get this alien back home.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cute, interactive picture book has colorful illustrations and fun text. This would make a great family read-aloud, but I'm not going to use it for storytime because so much of the fun is in kids getting to touch and interact with the book themselves.

[Brandon Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how interactive this book series is, great for reading with kids at home or for storytime! The illustrations are always on point and there’s even a surprise cameo or two for lovers of this series and author!

[Beth Voecks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an adorable way to be interactive with a book AND teach children about acceptance and diversity.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interactive book that would be fun for PreK kids. Works best as a book that the child can manipulate while the child-caregiver reads. Love the illustrations and the humor.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super interactive, this makes a great group read aloud!

[Miranda Reads (back from hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun interactive book. The illustrations really brought it to life.

[I _teach_muggles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interactive books are great fun. If you are familiar with and are a fan of any of the books by Herve Tullet then this is another book that is well worth your time.

When an alien crash lands into the book you are holding in your very hands it is up to you to help get the little thing back into space. Or perhaps alien can stay on planet earth…

This is a fabulously fun interactive book filled with illustrations that are big, bold, colourful and fun. Young readers will love making funny faces, shouting at the book, shaking and turning the book and drawing pictures (only with your finger of course - we don’t want to ruin the pages) all in an attempt to get alien back into space.

At the heart of the book is a kind message about acceptance and inclusion.

Recommended for 3+.

[Capn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read "Beegu" instead. ;)
There's an Alien in your Book is like PRESS HERE, but subtly teaching hatred and xenophobia... I exaggerate, but the "let's mock and hate the alien! Oh no, it's sad, let's pat its head", and "let's tell the outsider it doesn't belong here! Oh wait, we tolerate other animals, so.. okay, you can stay", and "it looks lonely-".. let's be kind to it? Let's be a good friend? No, "let's find a friend for the alien - oh, a monster is a good fit!" (DO Monsters BELONG on Earth?!).
It was just... mean spirited, somehow. And another derivation of Press Here. Unoriginal.

[David Ballard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read the previous entries into this series, however they should be fun if this one is anything to go by. It uses a clever concept which uses the physical book itself as an 'interactive' story device. The reader is encouraged to partake in various actions to help the titular alien who has crash landed inside the book. The illustrations are bright, characterful and nicely done. Overall it's definitely a parent and child bonding book the kids will love.

[Alyce Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would rate There's an Alien in Your Book higher than five stars if it was possible, as I gave There's a Monster in Your Book five stars and I enjoyed this one even more.
It's just so cute; it gets parents and children involved, it gets the little ones really excited because of the antics of the alien as he crash lands in the book and needs our help to get home, and there's even a cameo from the Monster!

[Martha Ayala · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s an Alien in Your Book is a fun and engaging story that invites children to become part of the adventure. An alien crashes and lands right inside the pages, readers are asked to help send it back into space by tilting, shaking, and talking to the book. The bright illustrations create a sense of excitement and wonder that keeps students involved from start to finish. This story encourages children to use their imagination.
I chose this book because the title and cover caught my attention. Once I opened it, I was drawn in the interactive pages made the reading experience exciting and fun. I especially enjoyed how the story asked me to move the book in different directions, which made me feel like I was part of the adventure.
I could integrate this story to science and English language arts. For science, I can have the students build the alien a shelter. Then I would have them write about what they would do if they came across an alien, and how they would help. For English language arts, I would have the students predict what would happen next in the story. I would also have them orally retell the story.

A similar book that I would read to my class is I Come from Another Galaxy by Jay Kwan. This is another book that caught my eye because of the illustrations. I believe this book gives students a new perspective on what it might feel like to be an alien visiting another planet. It helps them imagine what it’s like to be somewhere unfamiliar. I would integrate this book to English language arts. I would ask students to write about how the characters felt being in a new place and how they would feel if they went somewhere unfamiliar. I would have students share their thoughts with a partner.

Another book that I would read to my class is The Universe Ate My Homework by David Zeltser. I would integrate this in English language arts because we have a unit on space. I would ask students to compare this book to the nonfiction texts we read in ELA. I would also ask students to write about whether or not they would create a black hole. Lastly, I would have students say the steps that Abby used for the black hole.

[SKP · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series came out at the tail-end of my 35-year career as a children’s librarian. By the time I discovered them, we were into the pandemic and doing Facebook Live storytimes only—no in-person ones. We used the dragon and the monster ones in our Facebook Live storytimes, which meant no instant feedback from children, but we did get a lot of positive feedback in the threads under the posted videos. I retired before the in-person storytimes resumed, so I unfortunately never got to use any of these directly with children. For that I am sorry.

When they wrote so many of this type of book, I wondered how they could keep each one original and unique, but they obviously were successful. This particular one has a tiny lesson about accepting those who are different from you, and that everyone is unique and we should be welcoming to everyone in spite of differences. I liked this one a lot, and it would have been adorable to use in a space-themed storytime.

Of course, as much as these would work in storytimes, I would think they’d work even better as a one-on-one book between caregivers/parents and children. Highly recommended!

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book in Dutch, English review below

Naast zijn muziek vind ik de boeken van Tom Fletcher super om te lezen.
Nu lijken de titels allemaal op elkaar, alleen de hoofdpersoon van het boek is anders.
En alle boeken zijn interactief, maar daarna houdt de vergelijking op. De verhalen zijn elke keer weer anders en erg leuk bedacht.

Next to his music I really like the books Tom Fletcher writes.
All the book titles are almost the same, only the main character is a different one.
And all the books are interactive, but then the similarity stops. Every book has it's own funny story.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this a child's picture book or a project?

Is this aggressively interactive book going to thrill your child? Or provide the literary equivalent equivalent of sending your child to obedience school. (Only for humans, not dogs.)

This time, Tom Fletcher and his illustrator are busily telling readers what to do. This is called "reading"? Or "being interested in a book"?

For example, readers are commanded to, "Pat the alien's head to make it feel better."

FIVE STARS on behalf of adults who think this kind of nonsense could ever, really, count as fiction for children. Or believe that this kind of anti-literature might interest a child in reading a real book.

[Michelle]

In the same vein of "The Monster at the End of This Book" and "Shake the Magic Tree," this very brightly illustrated book reminds me of that Black Books episode where Bernard & Manny write a children's book -- there's something condescending about it. But the kids enjoyed it, and it's getting a fair amount of checkouts in the library so go ahead and get it, if only for the really cute illustrations.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know it hardly counts as my normal fare, but once you read a book to a small child and it inevitably means you end up reading it *several* times in a row, then I think it starts to count!

This one was a fun read, with humor and cute drawings. Definitely not the worst one to read multiple times, and it encouraged participation on the part of the child, which was quite a bit of fun too.

Would definitely recommend for parents with kids in this age bracket.

Enjoy!

[Sarah Alamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're so proud of you for reading this wonderful book! You learned something very special - that when someone is different or needs help, we should be kind and friendly to them. Just like you helped the little alien get home, you can help friends at school who might feel lost or lonely. Being a good friend means welcoming everyone with a warm heart. You're such a caring, smart girl, and we love watching you learn and grow!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was made for library storytellings and other animated, interactive readings for children. I love how the author creatively involves his audience and manipulates the pages of the book. The message is great too! It focuses on not judging others by our preconceived notions of who someone is based on what they look like.

[Jenn Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read aloud! This is an interactive, silly, fun book about an alien stuck in your book. Things get turned upside down (literally) trying to get him out! The illustrations are so cute. It reminds me of the old Grover book, "There's a Monster at the End of This Book" mixed with "Press Here" "Mix It Up" books by Herve Tullet.

[Alex Svenpladsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom Fletcher does it again. I love all these books, especially for storytime. They're so interactive that kids stay engaged the whole time. And I LOVE that the monster makes an appearance in this one and becomes the alien's friend. The illustrations are so stinking cute. New storytime favorite, right here. Love it.

[Jessica Sharland · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet book aimed at quite a young audience. The whole book is very engaging asking the reader to do things like ‘blow away the smoke’ and ‘hold the book up high’.

I feel young children would love to be an active participant in this book and try and help the alien to get home. Simple but a nice read :)