What would you say to a visiting alien?

Hi from Outer Space

Written and illustrated by Fiona Katauskas @fionakatauskas

Published by: Allen and Unwin @allenandunwin

Published on: 21st November 2024

ISBN: 978 1761069260.

Price: £7.99

First line: I sometimes wonder what my life would’ve been like if I hadn’t left a banana peel in the middle of the kitchen floor – right where my poor, unsuspecting dad accidentally stepped on it, slid across the floor, flipped over our dog, somersaulted through the air and landed bum-first on a catcus.

Genre: Science Fiction/ Comedy

Age: 8+

Thanks to the UKLA for the review copy.

What’s it all about? “TAKE. ME. TO. YOUR. LEADER.” Are words any UFO aficionado is dreaming to hear. And Alex (the star of this tale) does hear these very words one night. Hi has travelled to Earth to do his homework (to learn about Earth’s leadership) and he has a strange idea of what the planet will be like, through watching a popular television show back on his own planet – EDTWT (Earthlings Do The Wackiest Things). Alex and her best friend, Taqi, are the only people who can see Hi (due to discombobulation), so they end up helping each other. Alex is trying to win a comic competition and needs inspiration, and she gets plenty from her adventures with Hi. Alex takes Hi to see various leaders that live near her, from her Dad’s boss to the Mayor. The illustrations are grexcellent (as Hi would say), and in the now common style of lines of black ink randomly interspersed throughout the text.

Why should I read it? Anyone, like myself, who grew up with a diet of Star Trek, Star Wars, the Outer Limits, and the X-Files will enjoy this comic tale of alien, Hi, and his trip to Australia. I did think that some of the chapters were too long, especially for children of this age range, and I lost touch with the story in places. Throughout the story, as a recurring joke, Planet Wendy’s (where Hi comes from) language is compared to a whole variety of Earth- bound objects, the stranger the better! Alex is a great character: heartfelt, passionate and believable. Especially suited to children (and aliens) in Year 4 upwards, this story will delight and entertain.