Harry is a young boy captivated by his parents’ bedtime stories about outer space. Surrounded by bedroom décor including stars on the ceiling and a spaceship pillow, Harry tells himself that one day he will “climb into a rocket ship and visit the moon.”

With plenty of illustrations and simple, repetitive language, SPACE BOY (A Story About A Boy Who Went To Outer Space And Back) is most likely to appeal to children ages 4 to 8. It is an amalgam of picture-book and early-reader but far exceeds the word length of both genres. So, it would be best shared as a bedtime story or read-aloud with a parent.

Harry’s father is an inventor of “odd gadgets,” such as a gift for Harry’s mom: a machine that washes and sorts laundry by itself. Harry’s mother tells him that one day his dad “will invent something very important.” One day, both Harry’s wish and his mother’s prediction come true: His father finds a way to turn Harry’s bed into a spaceship that can travel to the moon.

Harry’s father accompanies him on his lunar journey. After Harry presses a button that converts the bed into a spaceship, his dad takes over as the pilot and teleports them into space. Unlike the book’s early reader-type vocabulary, “teleport” is an intriguing word likely to stir questions for young readers. Some may have heard it while watching sci-fi TV shows. However, it isn’t clarified in the story. The text should provide a quick explanation about this phenomenon of disappearing from one place and reappearing in another.

Author Lillian China Smith’s story is calming and ideal for bedtime. Yet Harry’s adventure could use a touch more excitement. For example, children enjoy feeling capable and would probably enjoy it if Harry played a larger role in piloting the flying bed. More dashes of humor would also add spark to the story, such as when Harry’s dad tells him to “be quick” in his exploration of the moon because they “[d]on’t want Mum to notice we’re gone!”

Illustrator Gerry Alvarez’s drawings are colorful and lively. However, the artist could have helped readers better imagine Harry’s journey by showing a spaceship shaped something like a bed flying through space or landing on the moon. Though it could use some more electricity, SPACE BOY is still a fun, soothing story for parents or teachers to share with young readers.

Written by Lillian China Smith and illustrated by Gerry Alvarez, SPACE BOY (A Story About A Boy Who Went To Outer Space And Back) is a fun, soothing story for adults to share with young readers.

~Alicia Rudnicki for IndieReader