Lights on Wonder Rock

Starred review from July 1, 2020
Grades K-3 *Starred Review* More than anything else in the world, little Heather wants an alien to come take her away so she can live among the stars, so she sits on Wonder Rock, flashing the beam of her flashlight on and off into the night sky. One night, she gets her wish, but her parents miss her, so she returns to Earth, and time passes, as time does. As she grows up and has children and grandchildren of her own, Heather returns to the rock over and over, calling out for her alien friend with everything from radio waves to electricity signals, but the spaceship never returns. Until, one night, Wonder Rock has just one more wonder in store. This book takes the reader on the emotional journey of an entire feature-length film in just a few perfect pages. It is an utterly unique reading experience, with unhurried wordless spreads giving way to multipanel sequences, with a handful of elegant sentences scattered throughout like stars. The aurora-like color scheme is jaw-dropping, drenching every frame in luxurious hues, and the depiction of light and shadow?from moonlight and flashlight beams to a setting sun or sparkling spaceship?is nothing short of expert. This book displays some of the best visual storytelling on (quite literally) the planet.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

Starred review from August 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 2-A fantastical, partially wordless story tells of a girl and her fascination with all things extraterrestrial. Heather sits patiently on Wonder Rock with a flashlight until a UFO finally lands and she encounters a friendly alien.Though she wants to go with it to explore the unknown, she returns home, knowing her parents will miss her. From that day on she longs for the alien's return, and comes back to Wonder Rock to wait. As an elderly woman, her outer space friend returns. Yet again, she nearly ventures into space, but her loving children and grandchildren beckon her back. Litchfield talks directly to readers, repeating, "Time passed, as time does," along with wordless panels that effectively demonstrate the passage of a lifetime. Wordless pages also illustrate the interactions with the alien. The pictures are mesmerizing, with rich, dark forests, streaming magical moonlight, and a round silver UFO that flashes with pink and purple light. The opening spread shows a silhouette of red-headed Heather walking from a cabin in the spotlight of a moon hung low in a deep blue sky. And while there is a clear sense of longing throughout Heather's life, she is not consumed by it, nor is there trepidation or fear of the blue alien. VERDICT When Heather rejoices as her family finally meets her Wonder Rock friend, readers will be right there with her. A wondrous tale, this is recommended for picture book collections.-Clara Hendricks, Cambridge P.L., MA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2020
An alien encounter keeps a woman hoping to recapture a magical moment all her life. One night Heather sneaks off into the woods with a flashlight, sitting on Wonder Rock and "hoping that someone out there would see her light." When something arrives, it comes in an explosion of bright colors, flashing lights, and glowing particles. From a flying saucer emerges a friendly creature who looks like a giant spoon. Heather draws a picture for it before she retreats to her family. For the rest of her life, Heather returns to Wonder Rock, hoping for a reunion but growing disenchanted. It's not until she is "an old lady" who has "nearly lost all hope, as people do," that the ship returns to, predictably, teach her that the family she has raised is the magic she was always seeking. Litchfield's slightly mournful story is punctuated by moments of thrilling escape, none more lovely than a single page of Heather's "off / and on" flashlight vigil, laid out as nine panels that go from giddy anticipation to disappointment to sudden fear, a technique deployed again when Heather is old. But the text does not rise to the level of enchanting artwork, falling flat with tired clich�s and concluding with a thud. As with the crayon pictures that Heather uses to communicate with the ET, some ideas don't need words. Heather presents White; her family is interracial. These close encounters are better seen than read. (Picture book. 4-7)

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October 26, 2020
Heather has glasses, a gap-toothed smile, and a burning desire to explore space: “She wanted more than anything to leave Earth behind and go to live among the stars.” After sitting patiently with a flashlight on a huge boulder, she succeeds in attracting a UFO and makes the acquaintance of a tall, thoughtful alien. Her dream is about to come true—until she realizes that her parents will miss her, and she returns. The text is minimal; accomplished artwork by Litchfield (The Bear and the Piano) carries most of the story. Grids of small panels alternate with big, theatrically lit spreads as Heather’s flashlight slices through the night and the spaceship casts a pink glow over the forest. Decades pass, and Heather—still waiting on Wonder Rock, remarkably—gets another chance. This time, though, it’s Heather’s young family that draws her back. The evidence for her life as a matriarch is uneven: after a long panel sequence depicts Heather playing with a child, four more kids of various ethnicities appear out of nowhere, all at once. Litchfield’s friendly alien, who offers paper and crayons and cups of tea, provides the tale’s most beguiling moments. Ages 4–7.