JACK AND THE NIGHT VISITORS

Jack, the scruffy but adorable little terrier, has a boy. Some readers will be familiar with this be-freckled duo from the previous Jack books, but in this charming story, something very extraordinary happens. One starry night, a spaceship full of diminutive, robot-like aliens visits Jack and his boy. As the completely wordless tale unfolds, the aliens hop into the bedroom, investigate thoroughly—right down to the sock drawer—and then pantomime hunger. The red-headed youngster brings a box of cereal to his visitors, which they—and Jack—devour happily. Despite one space-robot’s obvious distress, the boy captures it in a jar. Whether Jack is concerned for the visitor or just wants that last cornflake is unclear, but he frees the alien. Troubling as it may be to see the alien’s fear, most children will appreciate the boy’s desire to keep such an exciting little creature. With the nostalgic pastel-and-watercolor illustrations, this is a kid-perfect vehicle for encouraging children’s minds to take off. (Picture book. 2-5)